Unexpected
by AriesBalorPrincess
Summary: Zoe moved to Mobile for a better life for her son. He takes up walking the neighbors dog as a means to make money wanting to help his mom out. Wade moves next door and they hit it off. He slowly learns that his life with Zoe will be intertwined together for a while. A small hiccup in the form of his brother shows up at his door. What does Jesse have to do with anything?
1. Chapter 1

**_This was just an idea that came to mind as I was working on a different story that will be posted in the near future. This one is a little different and I hope you guys like it because I'm having a lot of fun writing this one. Enjoy!_**

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"Mom the new neighbor has a dog; do you think I could go ask if I can walk their dog?" Abel asked, leaning on the counter. "I promise I'll be back after to help you with dinner," he pleaded. When it came to her son she found it hard to tell him no.

"Okay, but come right back," Zoe told him. Abel kissed his mom's cheek and ran out the door. Zoe sighed watching from the kitchen window. They had been in Mobile for 6 months now. She wanted a better environment for her son. He was starting to get into a lot of trouble in the city and Zoe needed to find a way to keep him from going down the wrong path and moving seemed like the ideal option. He took up walking dogs for extra cash around the little neighborhood they lived in. He was saving his money for a car when he turned 16 in less than 2 years. In two months time he'd be getting his driver's permit.

Wade was digging through boxes cursing himself out for not putting labels on any of the boxes. He had been able to find the dog stuff that had been his first priority when he got there. He really needed to find a towel and the rest of his bathroom things so he could take a shower. Moving to Mobile wasn't necessary but he needed out of Bluebell for a while. And well he cared about his dad that he couldn't find it in himself to move elsewhere while his dad was getting the help he needed at a local place that gave him his own personal doctor until he was allowed to move out of the hospital and a sponsor to help him stay sober.

"Hobs hush," Wade demanded walking past his husky that was wagging his tail at the door where the knock had come from. Wade pulled the door open to see a kid with short blond hair and dark green eyes standing there looking excited. "What can I do for ya?" He tried to pull Hobs from assaulting the young boy with his pink tongue but the dog wasn't budging an inch. Not that the boy minded.

"I walk the other dogs during the day after school for a small fee and I was wondering if you needed someone to walk your dog. I live right there," he pointed to the faded blue house next to his corner house. "Names Abel," he introduced. "If you need me to walk him on the weekends you'll have to let me know."

"I'm Wade and this here is Hobs. It would be nice if you could walk him maybe play a game of fetch or two with him," Wade suggested. "I'll pay ya extra for it," he added on.

"That's not necessary, I'd be more than happy to play a few games of fetch with him," Abel beamed. "I know that you can't have anything to eat here and take out can get sickenin' and well my mom and me always make a lot of extra food that goes to waste so maybe you and Hobs can come over. Ma won't mind, at least she shouldn't mind," Abel invited.

"Thanks for the offer and all but I don't think that's the best thing, I still have a lot to do before bed, maybe another time though Abel," he declined politely.

"Okay but if you change your mind we'll be eating in about an hour. Bye Wade," he told him giving one last pat to Hobs head walking back to his house through the gate that was in the fence that separated the two yards. "I can walk him and I invited him for dinner 'cause it's the neighborly thing to do. He declined though," he informed his mom pulling out the things for mashed potatoes and homemade meatballs.

"That was nice of you and I'm happy that you get to add another dog to that ever growing list of clients. But maybe next time run it by me when you plan on inviting the new neighbor over," Zoe informed him.

"Okay mom and I promise this won't affect my school work."

"The second it does you have to cut back with the dogs," Zoe told him sternly.

"I know," he huffed with an eye roll. "We've been through this before, Ma. School comes first, he replied. "Can you promise not to burn the place down while I go type up my English paper?" He asked cracking a smirk.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Abe," Zoe stressed with a soft smile. Abel rolled his eyes, walking upstairs.

"What have I told ya about calling me Abe?" He questioned under his breath. Zoe bit back her laughter, getting the ingredients out for a salad.

Abel sat at his desk waiting for the computer to load. He liked New York and he missed his grandma dearly. When he was told they were moving to some city in the south he wasn't happy about that and he rebelled even more. Until they got to their new home and he overheard his mom on the phone, he never wanted to cause problems and hurt her, his ol' man had done enough of that to the both of them over the years. That's why he went to look for something he could do that would keep him out of trouble. He tried to help his mom out with the money he was able to bring in from walking the dogs but she refused and told him to save it for a rainy day. The more time he spent in Mobile the more he actually liked the city.

Zoe just finished the salad and checked on the potatoes when there was a knock on her back door. Frowning she opened the door and a white and grey dog ran past her nearly knocking her over, the dog would have succeed if it wasn't for his owners lightening fast reflexes. Zoe pulled away from him running her hands down the front of her apron, her cheeks a deep crimson color.

"I'm sorry about him. Hobs can be a bit of a kid. I'm Wade, Abel invited me over," he explained rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't mean to intrude or anything on ya," he tacked on.

"Its fine really come on in," Zoe told him pulling the door open wider. "I'm Zoe," she told him holding her hand out for him.

"Wade," he replied, bringing her hand up to his lips placing a soft kiss to the back of her hand. "It smells lovely in here." He couldn't remember the last time he had a home cooked meal.

"I'd wait till you try it, you'll think otherwise," Abel smirked, Hobs behind him. Wade chucked watching as Zoe tossed a towel at her son.

"My cooking has improved greatly, thank you very much."

"You keep telling yourself that. Just last week you set the toast and toaster on fire, we still haven't gotten a new one," he pointed out. Wade leaned against the counter watching mother and son duke it out. The memories he had with his mom wanting to come out. He smiled happy he decided to take the kid up on his offer. Zoe was gorgeous and she could laugh at herself. With one look you could see just how much she adored her son and how much Abel thought of his mom. Their home was filled with love.

"The real question here has she burnt water?" Wade asked joining the conversation. He stepped up to the stove to check on the meatballs as Zoe and Abel set about smashing the chunks of potatoes.

"I have not," Zoe told him placing the milk in the fridge, seeing the smirk on her son's face. "You're our guest you don't have to do that," Zoe told him trying to shoo him from the pan.

"I don't mind, besides they're done," Wade told her glancing to see what his dog was doing. He was being lazy as ever sleeping under the table.

Abel handed the potatoes over to his mom and he dug plates and silverware out to set the table. Zoe placed the food on the table and Abel went back to get glasses. "We have milk, juice, water or coke," Zoe rattled off pulling the chocolate milk out for Abel.

"Ya know milk is just fine," Wade commented, sitting down at the small round table that seated four people. He did wonder where Abel's father was but that wasn't a question to ask now.

"What brings you to Mobile?" Zoe asked, handing him the bowl with the salad.

"I could ask you the same question. New York?"

"How'd ya know?" Abel asked.

"Accent," Wade smirked. "Just needed to get away for awhile, I'm from a small town not far from here. Bluebell, we have the greatest mayor around. Lavon Hayes."

"You know Lavon Hayes? Ma did ya hear he knows Lavon Hayes?" Abel yelled excitement in his voice. Zoe laughed nodding her head.

"Big fans I see," Wade chuckled.

"The biggest," Abel stated. "We never missed one of his games."

"I'll make sure to send him over when he comes for a visit."

"That'd be awesome."

"You don't have to do that," Zoe informed him.

"Nah it's cool. He'd like that more than you two meeting him," Wade chuckled. "Mind if I ask how long you guys have been here?"

"Six months," Zoe told him. "New York wasn't working out for as any longer."

"In other words I was being a disrespectful troublemaker," Abel stated. "We moved so I'd straighten out."

"Ya know I caused a lot of trouble growing up and I'm doing alright for myself now that I got my act together. Wish I would've done it when I was your age. I'd be the one playing football," Wade shared.

"What team?" Abel asked.

"I would have liked to play for the Titans or maybe the Cowboys. Any team really."

"I play soccer and baseball tried football once but I had more fun watching the game instead of playing it," Abel rattled off. After that they had fallen into an easy conversation while they finished eating.

"Did you finish your homework?" Zoe asked after they were done eating.

"Uh not yet. I'll get right on that," he replied placing his plate in the sink. "It was nice meeting ya and I'll be over after for Hobs, when I'm done with school tomorrow," Abel said petting the dog in question.

"The key will be under the welcome mat in the back if I'm not home and it was awesome meeting you Abel," Wade responded back.

"You learn all these weird places where people hide their spare key," he mused walking upstairs.

"I shouldn't be worried he's gonna rob me and the rest of the neighborhood, should I?" Wade joked.

"You don't have to help," Zoe informed him getting the table cleared off. "These days no." Wade looked outside hearing no joking or teasing to her voice. He had to wonder just how much trouble he was getting into before the big move.

"I really don't mind especially after that lovely meal you cooked," Wade replied with a dazzling smile, letting the rest fall away.

"If you insist, I can also give ya a list of things that need to be fixed around here," Zoe winked, running water for the dishes.

"You're pushing your luck there, woman," Wade joked, rinsing the soap off the dishes.

"It was worth a shot," she shrugged.

They had worked in comfortable silence. Wade was glad that he decided to take up Abel's offer. After his shower he felt rejuvenated and with no numbers to call for take out and not in the mood to venture into town he decided to come over and get to know Abel and his mom a little better since he was letting Abel play with his baby during the week maybe on the weekends depending.

"Thanks for dinner, but I should really get home. I have an early day tomorrow," Wade commented walking to the door with a whistle. Hobs jumped up and followed his master out.

"You're welcome," Zoe told him, holding the door open. "Night Wade."

"Night Zoe. I'll have to cook for you and Abel one night." Zoe smiled and nodded her head. They both knew he didn't have to do that.

Zoe turned things off downstairs and headed up to Abel's room to wish him goodnight and to remind him that it was a school night and not to stay up too long. With an eye roll and an 'I know, ma' Zoe went to bed with Abel calling out a night and an I love you which Zoe returned the sentiment. She got ready for bed and pulled her book out to read as she snuggled under the covers.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm happy to see that you guys are liking this story so far. Thank you for all the love on the first chapter, enjoy!**

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The one day to be running late and it had to be today. She was always up a half hour before Abel was and her stupid alarm didn't go off causing Abel to wake her up. After a quick breakfast with her son that consisted of just a bowl of cereal, he was out the door to catch the bus to school while she finished getting ready for work. Then when she still thought she would be on time her car wouldn't start so she had to take public transportation making her over an hour late. She was glad that she didn't have a strict boss like she had in New York. The most she had to do was work an hour later or skip over her lunch break cutting the time she stayed after shorter.

Wade on the other hand had gotten settled into his new place and found that he liked it there. Hobs was happy with his new friend and was worn out at night. He was however getting annoyed at the doctor for his ol' man. This was the first time in under the week he'd been in town that he was able to make it to the hospital to actually talk about his dad with his doctor and he had places elsewhere to be. He didn't have time to wait around for the doctor. It wasn't his fault he had things to do and not extra time to wait for his dad's doctor to finally show up.

"Ya need to relax," Earl stated looking at his son. "When ya see her you'll be in love," Earl smirked, earning himself an eye roll from his son. "You'll forget that you're even all pissy once she walked through that door." Wade doubted that. It didn't matter how good looking the doctor was, she was late and he wasn't going to forgive her because of her looks.

"According to ya I'd have been married and in love with every women that's walked past me," Wade remarked. "Looks don't mean everythin'," he commented.

"Those ladies have nothing on my pretty lady doctor friend," he smiled, Wade held his groan in.

"Alright pops," Wade finally gave in. He's been in plenty of these talks that he knew he would never come out on the winning end; it was easier to end it and save his breath.

"Earl I'm so sorry," Zoe was saying walking into the room looking at his chart. "You wouldn't believe the morning I've had between alarms and a car that refused to start then add on top of all of that my son got into a fight and has detention the rest of the week," Zoe rambled on while checking on everything. She had barely made it through the front doors when her phone started to ring. Because he didn't outright start the fight and because it was the first time he's been in trouble at school they let him off easy.

"Abel doesn't seem like the kid to start a fight," Wade mused causing Zoe to jump slightly. Wade chuckled under his breath finding it cute when Zoe was startled. Though he was finding it hard not to be concerned about Abel. The boy seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders and starting fights just didn't scream Abel to him. But what did he know? He has only known the boy for the past week. Normally when Abel returns with Hobs Wade is home and they chat for a few minutes before Abel takes off saying he has chores and homework to do.

"Wade?" Zoe questioned turning to look at the man she hadn't even seen. "I didn't know that the Wade, Earl here told me about was you," she said surprised.

"In the flesh," he responded. He was still annoyed that she was late even though she had some very good excuses. But she had put him behind schedule. "You didn't tell me that you were a doctor," he remarked. Last names and what they did for a living never came up the one night they had conversed with each other, everything but that and for the most part family hadn't been approached.

"I didn't know the two of you knew each other," Earl butted in, showing off the smile he wore at this new development between his pretty lady doctor and his youngest son.

"Neighbors," Wade told him. "I don't see Abel as the kind of kid to start a fight," he repeated himself.

"He didn't. It was another kid. Words had been said and Abel had to step up, ya know how high school boys are," she dismissed, she hadn't been told the whole story. That she would get when she made it home and sat down and had a talk with her son. She was just running out of punishments for him. She couldn't take away his job for any given amount of days because not only did their neighbors but there four legged creatures depended on him as well. "We're not here to talk about Abel you came to find out about your dad," she said dismissing all talk about Abel.

"Yeah so is it good news?" He asked rubbing the back of his neck. After everything he went through with his mom he couldn't lose his dad in the same way.

"Am I dying, doc?" Earl asked after watching the exchange between his pretty lady doctor and his son, hiding the smile he wanted to flash.

"Why do you think you're dying Earl? You're an old stubborn man, you're gonna be just fine and within two weeks or so you'll be set up at your own place here in the city with your own nurse and I'll be around every few days to check on ya. You're gonna recover from this," Zoe told him writing down things. "Surgery had been the hardest part and you're now out of the woods on anything going wrong there, there's a good chance that the cancer won't come back," she told them. "You just need quit that drinking for good," she told him sternly a smile on her face.

"If you're so certain why can't I go home?" Earl asked stubborn as mule.

"Because there's a slight chance it can come back and we want you close by just in case, in a few months we'll check everything out and we'll go from there. We're doing what's best for you Earl," Zoe told him using her stern voice on him. "Now do either of you have any questions?"

"Yeah," Earl spoke up. Zoe groaned to herself having a slight feeling on the next words that were going to come from his mouth. "Are you datin' anyone?" Earl asked a smug smirk on his face. Zoe rolled her eyes, looking at the man lying comfortable as can be in a hospital bed. She could see his eyes were lit up at his own question and for a fleeting moment she thought about answering his question like she always did when he asked. But her love life had been complicated for the past nearly 15 years now. It wasn't anything she was going to get into with one of her patients and her neighbor on top of it all.

"Earl," Wade warned.

"Earl, we've been over this, my personal life is not up for discussion," Zoe told him. "I'll be back later to check on you," she informed him.

"Oh alright and one of these days I'll find out if you're taken or not."

"We'll see about that one," Zoe called over her shoulder holding the door open for Wade. "Do you have any questions?"

"A few but I gotta jet. Maybe you can come over for dinner and we talk about things then?" He questioned, jamming his hands into his pockets.

"Sure thing, what time?"

"7 should be good," Wade smiled, walking off.

Zoe wore a smile the rest of the day. Earl questioned her about it when she checked on him throughout the day. She refused to tell him. Earl was her favorite patient by far, she knew she wasn't supposed to pick favorites but she couldn't help it, Earl was just well Earl and she was gonna miss him once he left. Her rounds just weren't going to be the same without him there and visiting him twice a week after he was moved wasn't going to be the same. She really was shocked to learn that the Wade she had heard so much about for the past week was her next door neighbor. After Wade's first night there they had said hello in passing and shared smiles and little waves but they had yet to actually stop and really talk any further.

Zoe worked through her lunch break grabbing something small and easy to eat on the walk through the halls checking on her patients. Once she finished a little girls cast for her broken wrist, Zoe clocked out stopping by Earl's room only to see that he was sleeping. There was just something about him the first day he came in that she had helped him and she has ever since. She felt bad that no one came to see him but now maybe she had been missing Wade during the week when he had came in to see his father. She did know that he had another son but he didn't talk about him, heck she didn't even know his name.

"What happened to the car?" Abel asked, putting his book away seeing his mom approach him.

"It wouldn't start, that's all I know. Why are you here and not at home, better yet why aren't you walking the dogs?" Zoe asked right back, stopping and waiting for her son to gather his things.

"I only have Hobs to walk today and Wade told me last night that I didn't have to come over too early," he answered, shouldering his backpack. "Ma I didn't want to fight, ya know I've changed since moving here, but the dude wouldn't leave it be and he kept pushing and pushing and he swung first and I had to fight back or I was going to be known as the coward that just walk away and since I'm still relatively new in school I wasn't left with much of an option and I'm sorry and I know I should have walked away but I couldn't, I get that you may not understand that, but we're talking about my dignity here mom," Abel quickly rattled explaining the whole situation to Zoe. She placed an arm around his shoulder, smiling to herself once he leaned into her and not pulled away from her as they walked outside into the sun that was sinking lower in the sky.

"I don't understand the whole thing but because you didn't start it your punishment will be a little lighter, but you still fought and you still need to take responsibility for your actions there."

"What is my punishment?" He asked slowly fearing the worst.

"Mr. Frederickson needs help on the weekends and for the next two months you are going to be helping him out," Zoe informed her son who groaned.

"But ma he's an ex-marine," Abel whined. That's part of the reason she called him and volunteered her son to help him out.

"I know this Abel, but this is your punishment. It does no good to take things away from you, it doesn't work. So I'm going in a different approach here."

"Yeah blackmail," he sneered, pulling away from his mom and sitting on the bench to wait for the bus to show up.

"I can take things away on top of taking your weekends away as well if that's what you want," Zoe suggested, sitting next to her son. He shook his head.

The ride home seemed to drag on, nothing Zoe said or did would get her son to talk to her so after a while she gave up. The walk from the bus stop to their house, Abel was walking in front of her. He tossed his bag in his room and took off through the back door to get Hobs and take him for his walk and to play extra longer in the little park. Zoe had been through this plenty of times before, he needed time to clear his head and she was giving him the space to do that in.

"We had take-out last night and we never have it two nights in a row so what's for dinner?" Abel asked, entering the house through the back door. "It's against the law to make me starve to death," he commented grabbing a peach from the fridge.

"I know this and you won't be starving to death, we have dinner plans," Zoe informed him.

"With who?" He asked cutting his peach in half to take the pit out.

"Wade," Zoe replied.

"In that case you can't starve all of us," he smirked. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Go do your homework before we have to leave," she ordered him. Taking his fruit he headed upstairs to get started on what little work he had left over. He was actually looking forward to spending some more time over at Wade's.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's not much but it is home," Wade told Zoe suddenly feeling nervous about his house. He didn't really add anything to make the place homier and he spent the better part of the last hour making sure the whole downstairs was clean enough, he didn't want to come off as the slob he really could be. This was the first time she had been inside his house. Abel stayed outside to play with Hobs.

"It's lovely," she assured him, perching herself on a kitchen stool, her eyes looking around the kitchen. She could see part of his living room from where she sat and but she couldn't see any family pictures. "Dinner smells spicy," she commented.

"My Uncle Moe's recipe for his famous gumbo," he smirked, standing at the stove to stir.

"Famous huh?" Zoe asked raising an eyebrow.

"Somethin' like that," he shrugged. "Things okay with Abel?"

"Yeah, he's trying to fit in," she replied looking out the window to watch her son. "He's always wanted his own dog," she commented with a sigh.

"Why haven't you gotten him one?" Wade asked coming to lean on the counter across from her. "Being his age at a different school can be a challenge."

"We couldn't have pets in New York, not where we lived and now?" She sighed. She kept pushing that topic off; she wouldn't mind having a dog she was more concerned if they'd even have time for a dog. "It **'** s not the right time." Wade nodded. He's had Hobs since he was around 20. The dog looked so helpless in the shelter he had walked by. He had taken a spur of the moment drive to Atlanta. Pets were a lot of work. "What questions did you have about your dad?" Zoe asked moving on to why she was here.

"If you don't mind can we wait until after dinner?" He asked.

"Of course. So your uh brother," Zoe was saying watching the muscles in his back tense up under the tight grey tee he was wearing. "Earl never talks about him just mentioned he had two kids," she continued walking a fine line on the topic.

"He's a sore topic. Took off when I was younger after my ma died. He went to live with our grandparents. He comes around every couple of years but it's never pleasant. Hell Zo, I don't even know if has a permanent place, he's always moving around city to city different state every few months. I know nothing when it comes to my older brother, not that he's much of a brother," he explained. Zoe could hint some agony under the anger that seeped out. He figured it was better to get that out there then to let it settle between them and come up any other time. It was nice to tell someone other then the people in Bluebell that knew, to have a different look on this whole thing.

She wanted to say sorry but she didn't want him to think she was pitying him in any such way. "I didn't know," she finally told him. Wade nodded. "I knew a man like that. Thought I could change him was I ever wrong, should've knew better but. .." She trailed off taking a deep breath. This was the topic she wanted to avoid because it wasn't going to end well and she didn't want to scare off the one man that she just clicked with.

"Ex-boyfriend?" Wade guessed, pulling bowls from his cupboards.

"Close, ex-husband," she replied grabbing some utensils from the dish drainer.

"Ouch," Wade commented. "Didn't want to run across the country?" He asked in what he hoped was a joking tone.

"Oh ya know it was a lifelong dream of mine to see every town in this great country of ours," she replied over dramatically. The longer she stayed quiet the more he knew a but was coming up. "I thought I loved him and I got the greatest gift in the world," she replied looking out the window, she had already said more than she wanted to on past relationships.

"He wouldn't stay for Abel?"

"No, and that hurt more than the rest but I wouldn't change it, ya know?" She asked. "I love my son."

"It shows, it really does. Walking into your house that first night I could feel that love swarm me. You've done an excellent job Zo," Wade praised. Zoe blushed walking to door to call Abel onto the house. "I was thinking maybe if you don't mind I can take a look at your car after dinner," Wade suggested.

"That would be wonderful," Zoe replied, directing her son to the sink to wash up. "But don't feel like you have to," Zoe informed him.

"It's no problem," Wade replied brushing it off. He didn't mind the extra work and it wouldn't take much to see what was wrong. He was starting to wonder how he was going to repay her for spending so much of her extra time with his dad. Earl talked fondly of Dr. Hart, she stopped by his room at least hourly just to talk, he had never seen a doctor do that before but just watching her the little bit he was at the hospital showed him that she cared about everyone that came in.

"If you're sure," she relented, sitting down to eat. Wade gave her a nod and dug into his own food. "This does taste like it should be famous," Zoe commented between bites.

"You'll have ta teach me how to make this," Abel requested.

"And ruin my family recipe," Wade gasped in horror.

"I won't tell ya soul," Abel promised. Wade bumped his shoulder with his fist.

'I know ya won't, I don't know when I'll make it again. It's very rare when I do make it, but I'll let ya know," he informed him. Abel nodded enthusiastically shivering more into his mouth. Zoe could feel something stir deep within her having Wade say that it was rare for him to make the gumbo, made her feel special.

"Abel manners," Zoe scolded her son.

"Sorry mom," he replied getting more.

The rest of dinner was eaten in a comfortable silence. Wade put their dirty dishes in the sink dismissing Zoe helping him clean up, he'd get to that after looking at Zoe's car. He kept telling himself that he was doing this to be friendly and being a good neighbor. Zoe was easy to talk to and she was a great person, she was good looking so those lingering feelings were natural. But there was something else about her that he kept trying to ignore.

"Figure it out?" Zoe asked from her spot at the kitchen table. Her coffee was to her right and her laptop sitting in front of her as she went over emails, one from her mother currently open. She was finding it hard to find the right words to use to get back to her mother, she would have to talk to Abel about their plans for the pending holiday season and taking him back to New York wasn't on the top of her list.

"Your starter is shot, it'll cost ya but I can put the starter in when ya get it, I can order for ya, I've got go to there anyway."

"I don't want to put ya out, Wade," she told him. She was starting to feel bad about having him work on her car. She could take it in, she didn't mind.

"I don't mind. Do you mind if I have some?" He asked gesturing to the coffee pot.

"Of course," Zoe told him. She quickly grabbed him a mug, pouring some coffee into it for him. "Did you want to talk about your dad now?" Zoe asked placing the mug in front of him. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You sure you can be talking about this outside of the hospital?" He questioned. He didn't want her to get into trouble.

"I can tell you the same things here as I could there. You're his family and I'm allowed to tell you the same things we tell your father," she replied easing his mind. "What was it you wanted to know?" Zoe questioned.

"I'm worried about him and I know how he can get at times," Wade started to say.

"Your father has been nothing but pleasant a bit out there trying to find you the perfect wife, and a bit much wanting to know the on goings of my personal life, not that I mind talking about Abel it's just the other things," she rambled on. Feeling Wade's warm palm pressing against the top of her hand had her blushing. "But that's off topic, he's really great, you really don't have anything to worry about," she assured him.

"I can't lose him too, Doc," Wade told her, his thumb caressing her skin. The little name along with the feeling that was stirring inside of her at a simple touch had her cheeks flushing a dark shade of red. Wade smiled but didn't bring attention to it.

"I assure you that you won't lose him, not for a long few years yet, Wade. The cancer is out and once he goes to the assisted living place he'll only be there for the year, it's just a precautionary. It's a better way to keep an eye on him to make sure it doesn't come back. It's not something we actually do."

"Then why did you do that for him?" Wade asked, suddenly curious now.

"I've grown close to him over the short time I've spent with him and I didn't want to see him go back home to that situation again and not only will the place he is going to be easy for us to check on him every so often but help him to stay sober without him really knowing it," she explained on the sheepish side.

"I think that's awesome, but couldn't he like I don't know come live with me?" Wade asked, drawing his hand from hers, cupping his cup of coffee with both hands.

"He could, but is that something you're willing to take on? It's a lot to ask of you and you have work and Hobs, do you have time to deal with the things that your dad will put you through?" Zoe asked.

If it was anything like what he had went through growing up then no he wasn't ready to deal with that. Put that way he wasn't going to be able to watch his father at all times keeping him from the very demon of his existence. He had went through hell when he was younger and now that he was free of that he wasn't ready to jump back into it. He loved his father; it was just good not to be the one to deal with the outbursts any longer. "I know it makes me a bad son, but I don't think that I do," he told her honestly.

"It doesn't make you a bad son; you're doing what's best for your father, Wade. Nothing is ever wrong with that," Zoe assured him. Wade nodded locking his eyes with hers both afraid to look away and break this moment they were having, where they could see deep within each other, letting the hurt and pain lay on the surface, closely followed up with a burst of happiness. The distance that was between them was slowly starting to close.

"Mom," Abel called bounding down the stairs. Zoe and Wade jumped apart. Wade rubbing the back of his neck as he got up outta the chair he was sitting in. Zoe blushed getting up to meet her son. Abel hugged her. "I'm sorry for school today," he whispered.

"Don't make it a habit," she told him. She couldn't tell him it was fine or even okay, because it wasn't.

"I won't," he promised. "Night mom, love you," he said, pulling away from the hug.

"Night, love you too," Zoe replied kissing the top of his head. He made a big deal about the kiss with Wade right there, Zoe rolled her eyes as Abel told Wade night.

"Night Abel," Wade called back. With Abel gone things between the adults started to get really awkward. "I should go," Wade said looking over at Zoe who was looking at the floor. He had wanted to kiss her and he was certain that if Abel wouldn't have chosen that moment to come running down the stairs they would have kissed.

"Yeah, it's late and I've got to get up extra early with my car down," Zoe replied with a nod, her almost kiss with Wade on her mind. Up until that moment she wasn't even aware that she wanted to kiss Wade and now that's all she could think about were his lips on hers and how it would feel. Are his lips as soft as they look? Shaking the thoughts from her head she caught the amused look on Wade's face; bringing a pink blush tint to her warming cheeks. "Thank you for looking at my car and dinner, it was lovely."

"My pleasure, Zo," he told her with a soft smile. The first few times he called her that, she didn't think much of it, she knew that she liked it when he called her Zo it made her insides fuzzy and now hearing it made that fuzzy feeling turn into a soft flutter. "When the starter comes in I'll put it in for ya, with the charge of dinner," he winked walking to the door. He really could get use to the pink tinting her cheeks.

"Deal," Zoe promised. "Night Wade," she called, stepping closer to him.

"Night Zo," he replied, kissing her cheek and disappearing out the door. Zoe smiled, bringing her fingers to touch the spot where his lips were just at. Closing the door, she walked to her room her head in a fog about her next door neighbor.

Wade stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked through her back yard to his own, using his foot to close the gate door separating their yards. A smile playing on his lips, he liked Zoe and he was willing to see where this new found friendship and the feelings that he was starting to harbor for her were going to take him. He believed that he was ready for whatever ride it was, even if he didn't think that he wasn't ready for an instant made family. He got along with Abel and as long as lines didn't get crossed things would be okay, he wanted to believe they would be. He pushed the thoughts outta his mind as he cleaned up from dinner, he was getting ahead of himself, and he needed to figure out where Zoe stood towards him.

"What am I gonna do, Hobs?" Wade asked with a sigh, scratching his dog on the head. His answer was a lick to his arm. Wade shook his head moving to scratch his four legged friends' ears.


	4. Chapter 4

Walking into her house, Zoe frowned hearing her son was talking to someone. He hadn't mentioned inviting anyone over and from what she could tell he was having a one sided conversation. Placing her things on the counter, she headed in search through the house to find where her son was at. She found him pacing around the upstairs hall, fighting the smile that wanted to come out on his face. She leant against the wall.

"You promise you'll be here this time?" She heard Abel ask, the grin overtaking his face. "Awesome, here's mom," he replied handing the phone over to Zoe. She looked at him glancing at the phone in her hand. "Dad called," he shrugged, going to his room. With a deep breath Zoe brought the phone up to her ear, making sure Abel wasn't within ear shot of her.

"What do I owe this pleasure?" She asked lowly walking to her room and shutting the door.

"That's no way to treat the father of your child," he remarked and Zoe could hear the smirk in his face.

"You mean the child you hardly ever do anything for?" She growled, moving to sit on her bed.

"Is that why you've been letting this Wade character around my son?" He growled right back. "Who is this Wade?"

"The next door neighbor and who I have around my son shouldn't concern you considering you've only been around him a handful of times. Don't tell me how to raise my kid," she seethed into the phone, getting up to pace again.

"You know I didn't want any of that stuff," he told her. Zoe rolled her eyes. She was starting to wonder what she had ever seen in him to start out with. She would have been better off without ever meeting him. She cursed herself for letting her fellow classmates drag her out to some party at the tender age of 19. Where she had met and fell in love with the one man she shouldn't have. Only to have a child and married within the next year because she believed that it was true love and she wanted to spend her life with the one man that took her heart. She was such a naive young woman back then. She should have seen through his charm.

"Then why do it?" She asked. "You know what I don't even need you to answer that because I don't care what stupid lie you'll come up with because no matter what you really didn't love us, you may love Abel because he's your son, but you don't know anything about him. Actually how'd you get our number?" She asked.

"I came to New York to see you, consider my shock when some strangers were in your apartment. After a not so successful chat with your mother, I finally got the number after looking at her phone when she had to step away," he explained that smirk back in his voice.

"Why'd you do it?" She asked, feeling the fight in her start to drain. "What did you promise Abel?" She asked remembering the tail end of the conversation her son was having when she found him.

"I'll be there for Thanksgiving," he replied calmly. "You can even invite over that neighbor of yours, I'd like to meet him and make sure he's not some shady character." She really wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face. She paled thinking about inviting Wade over to have dinner with her and her ex-husband; it wasn't exactly her ideal dinner plans when it came to Wade.

"That's if you can even show up, you shouldn't make plans you can't keep. Thanksgiving is a little less than a month away, you sure you'll make it?" She asked sarcasm ringing out. "Maybe you should think about the whole shady, character," she stated.

"Ouch, Zo, you know how to hurt a guy," he replied.

"You don't get the right to call me Zo anymore, Jesse," she hissed into the phone. Wade calling her Zo was cute and adorable but having Jesse calling her Zo, it was more like he was patronizing her and she wasn't going to stand for it.

"Whatever _ZOE_ ," he replied putting the extra emphases on her name. "You can bet I'll be there sugar," he replied. "But I've gotta run, I'll be seeing you and my son real soon. Keep the bed warm would ya?" He asked with a laugh.

"I'll keep that bed extra hot in hell for ya," she seethed, hanging up. Dropping the phone on the bed, her head landed in her hands.

The knocking on her bedroom door had her jumping. Wiping away the tears that had managed to spill out from her frustrations over the phone call, she walked to the door. She thought it would be Abel but he normally announced himself when he knocked on her bedroom door. "Wade?" She squeaked out shocked to see him there.

"You okay?" He questioned, using his thumb to wipe away a stray tear. She shook her head.

"Stupid ex. What are you doing up here?" She asked, blocking his view of her room. She couldn't remember what she had laying out and she didn't want Wade to see anything he shouldn't be seeing.

"I finished putting the starter into your car, changed the oil for ya as well," he explained, clearing his suddenly dry throat. "Wanna talk about it?" Wade asked, she looked more beautiful with a tear streaked face.

"No, but thanks for the offer. How much do I owe ya for the car?" She asked with a small smile.

"Dinner and now dessert," he replied back.

"Right," Zoe replied looking up at him. She licked her lips looking into his dark green eyes. She wanted to close the gap between them and press her lips against his, but he cleared his throat pulling her from the trance she was in.

"I'll take my payment tomorrow, I've got work tonight," he told her, stepping back before he did anything to ruin their little friendship. She nodded a look of disappointment crossing her eyes but in a blink of an eye it was gone. "I'll be by around 6 to pick ya up." Zoe looked at him confused.

"I thought I was going to make you dinner?" She asked.

"And risk the chance of food poisoning?" He questioned with a soft chuckle hearing the small gasp. "I think I'll pass," he winked.

"You're spending way too much time with Abel," Zoe called following behind him.

"He does walk my dog, I can't help what is said between the time he comes to take him and when he brings him back whilst I'm home," Wade laughed. "Let me know how the car runs for ya tomorrow," he told her seeing himself out.

"You have a date with Wade tomorrow?" Abel asked, coming from the living room, hearing most of the conversation.

"It's not a date," she told him, calming her racing heart.

"Ma it's a date," he replied with a chuckle. "Are you really that dense?"

"Abel Thomas Copeland," she said between clinched teeth.

"Sorry ma," he cringed at the use of his full name. "But it's been a while since you've been on a date, Mom. Trust me, you're going on a date with Wade tomorrow night, I know these things. Do you even like Wade like that?" Abel asked, digging some leftovers out of the fridge to reheat.

"I think so," she told her son. "A date with Wade?" She asked herself, chewing her bottom lip. The idea of tomorrow night being a date thrilled her but frightened her all the same.

"Yeah, Mom," Abel sighed. "I thought we covered this already," he replied in duh tone, heating his food up before retreating to his room to leave his mom alone.

Zoe looked out her window over at Wade's place with her mind racing. She wasn't blind Wade had the looks and she was certain that he had all the female attention he needed. Her fellow nurses and doctors that had seen Wade kept asking her about him and she'd brush them off, before she said something that she couldn't take back. She had chalked that up to just being friends with him but maybe she did have a little more than just friendly feelings for him. The almost kiss the other night in her kitchen was proof that she might actually have real feelings for him and well that kinda scared her. The last time she had been on a date was when Abel was 12, the night had gone horribly wrong and after that night she had focused on her son and work. She didn't need a guy to make her happy. But Wade made her smile and laugh over the stupidest things, he got along with Abel amazingly well. Maybe there was more between them.

"Mom?" Abel asked, breaking Zoe's thoughts.

"Yes sweetie?" She questioned earning a small groan from her son with the little name.

"I know dad doesn't always show up when he says he does," he started to say, fidgeting in the chair where he sat down at. "But do you think he'll come this time. I do love him cause he's my dad and all and I do have fun with him and I don't want to hate him for what he did but I can't help it, do you think that maybe one day he'll just settle down and just be my dad?" Abel asked, casting his eyes down to his lap.

"I don't know, Abel. I thought he would change, I thought the world of him at one point, I thought I was enough and you came along and I thought for sure it was all he needed but it wasn't and he left, but it's nothing against the love he does have for you," Zoe explained. This was always the one talk when her ex called that she hated to deal with. "I want you to love him, Abel and not hold this grudge against him," she sighed.

"Like you do?" Abel asked.

"Yeah like I do," she confirmed. "I don't know if he'll ever settle down and stay in one place, it's not who he is. It's like he's running from something in his past, something I never caught on to while I was with him because he's good at covering that part of his life up, he's great when he's with you and that matters and maybe one day you can have a better relationship with him. I don't want you to hang on his every word though because you know how he is. I hate that he can't keep his promises to you and we just have to wait and see what happens in a few weeks."

"I know and I don't like that part of him. I just want him to be around more or at least to be able to talk to him more often," he sighed. All he wanted was a dad that was going to be around so he could play catch in the backyard and do guy things with. He was given the one dad that didn't want to be a dad unless it suited him and that was a hard thing to cope with, he was lucky that he had such a loving mother out of the whole thing. At one point he had blamed her for picking such a horrible guy to be his father but after a year or so he learned that she couldn't help it and that his dad's behavior was solely on his dad's shoulders. "Is Grandma coming?" Abel asked changing the topic from his father which was a sore topic to begin with to one of his grandma who he was really looking forward to seeing again.

"She'll be here the whole week," Zoe informed her son. Abel smiled and got up from his spot.

"I can't wait," he told her excitedly. "And mom, I like Wade and he makes you happy and well I'm okay with you dating him," he let her know. Zoe smiled, getting up to hug her son. He was quick to hug back.

"I'll keep that in mind, but it's not a date," Zoe told him.

"Keep telling yourself that mom," he replied rolling his eyes, breaking away from the hug. "It's a date, why can't you see that? He asked you out to dinner for tomorrow night, which happens to be Friday night. He fixed our car for free and even bought the part he needed for it, never once asking you for the money. It's a date because he likes you, why can't you see that?" Abel asked, slowly backing out of the kitchen. "Night mom, love ya," he called.

"Night Abel, love you too," she replied. "It's not a date," she said under her breath, feeling her stomach start to buzz at the thought of tomorrow night being a date.

She barely got any sleep, her mind kept drifting off to Wade and when she did manage to drift off to sleep Wade was in her dreams. She didn't hate those dreams like she should have. Abel had actually given her strange looks.

"Remember I won't be home tonight," Abel reminded her. "After detention tonight I have to walk the dogs and go over to Joey's house to finish the project for Monday before he leaves Saturday morning to his grandparent's house and he won't be back until sometime Sunday night, remember?" He asked explaining it in great detail.

"I remember," she told him. "Have fun and don't get into to much trouble. Also after you're done at Joey's house and you walk the few dogs you have to, you need to get over to Mr. Frederickson's place and I'll see you when I get home tomorrow night," she reminded her son.

"I know," he grumbled getting out of the car. He wasn't having any fun over at Mr. Frederickson's place; it was like he had to do warm up exercises before he could even start on whatever weird task it was he had to do. Last week he had to clean out the little room that was in his basement just so he could move things from upstairs into the room.

Once at work Zoe's co-workers kept commenting on the mile wide grin that she was wearing and why the sudden extra pip to her step. She shrugged telling them she had no idea what they were talking about. Walking into Earl's room he took one look at her and had a grin on his face. He had been talking to Wade and he was able to get things out of his son.

"Do you have a hot date after work?" Earl commented, gaining Zoe's attention from what she was doing.

"A hot date?" Zoe questioned with a snort. "I'm not really sure," she commented with a sigh, checking his heart rate and making notes.

"Is the guy not hot?" Earl chuckled.

"That's not the problem," Zoe replied, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "I find talking to you about this really awkward," she whispered.

"Why's that? You going on a date with my boy?" Earl asked with an amused smile sitting firmly on his lips.

"I'm going to dinner with your son, but it's not a date," she confirmed.

"Doc, it's a date," Earl told her.

"Abel said the same thing, you would get along just fine with him," she commented with a small laugh.

"He's one smart boy," Earl said. "What are you going to wear on this date with my boy?" Earl asked. Zoe shook her head and finished what she had to do.

'I would ask how you are this morning but I can see you're just fine," Zoe told him. "Are you feeling any pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle Doc," he told her, brushing the question off. "I expect a report on this date tomorrow," he informed her as she walked to the door.

"It's not a date and why don't you bug your son about it," she suggested walking out of the room.

"He'll hang up on me at the mention of it being a date," he called back before the door was shut.

The rest of her day had went by smoothly and every time she went to check on Earl he would question her about her date with Wade and yet again she would brush it off as the two of them going out to dinner as friends and nothing more than that.

When she made it home that night she was running behind schedule. She wrapped her towel around her after taking a quick shower. She looked through her closet not sure what it was she was supposed to wear. She stopped seeing the little black dress hanging in front of her. She pulled the dress out walking to the mirror, putting the dress up to herself to see if she should wear it. A glance at her clock told her she had to decide on something fast. Stealing a glance at her closet she decided the black dress was her best bet.

The knock at her front door had her coming down the stairs as she was pulling her shoes on. Straitening out her dress at the door, she took a deep breath and pulled the door open. She smiled seeing Wade standing in front of her with a bouquet of flowers. He was dressed in dark slacks and light blue button up shirt with the top three buttons undone to show off the white tee that he was wearing underneath it.

"You look beautiful, Zo," he commented, his eyes raking over ever inch of her. She blushed. "These are for you," he said, clearing his throat.

"Thank you, they're beautiful, let me put them in some water, come in," she told him, taking the flowers and walking to the kitchen to find a vase to place the flowers in. "You look quite good yourself," she said, filling the vase with water and placing it on the counter.

"Uh thanks," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You ready?" He asked once she turned back around.

"Just need my purse which is by the front door," she informed him.

"Where's Abel?" Wade asked, waiting for Zoe to shut and lock her front door.

"Friends house. They had a project to finish," Zoe replied, giving him a smile when he opened the car door for her.

"On a Friday night?" He questioned, shutting her door and hurrying to the driver's side to get in.

"It was the only night they had to work on it. His friend is leaving tomorrow for the weekend," she explained. "Wanna hear something funny?" Zoe asked, fidgeting in the passenger seat.

"Will it get you to relax? What is with you today?" Wade asked stealing a quick glance at Zoe.

"Abel convinced me that this was a date. Then add your dad on top of that. Is this a date? I don't know what this is. Listen to me I sound like my teenage son," she rambled only stopping when she heard the snort from Wade.

"Let's back up for a second shall we?" Wade asked.

"That would be nice," Zoe agreed with a nod.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable for a second. But under it all Abel was right. But it doesn't have to be a date if you don't want it to be, then it's just two friends going out and having dinner, friends do that all the time. Now who sounds like the teenager?" He grimaced. Hearing the sweet little laughter from beside him had him relaxing.

"I don't know what I want this to be. Can we just eat and have a good time and let things just happen on their own tonight?" She asked chewing her lip in a way that drives Wade crazy.

"That sounds good as long as that goodnight kiss is still on the table," he winked getting Zoe to flush a bright fuchsia color.

"We'll see," was her reply. "Where are you taking me?" She asked. Wade pulled up to a stop sign. He sent her a smile and a wink.

* * *

 _ **I really hope this chapter helped clear up a few of those lingering questions for all of you. If not please feel free to PM me and I will try to explain things better without giving much else away for you. And the whole Wade/Zoe/Jesse thing I have going on will be in more detail in just a few chapters, as I know what I'm doing with that, should be after the next chapter actually. I wanted to stop their little date/dinner as friends there so the chapter didn't get really long on everyone. I hope you all stick with me for this story even if you don't like the little dynamic I have going on by throwing Jesse into the picture but that's been the basic plan since I started this story just a few details with Jesse have changed. Anyway reviews are love and please keep them coming and I hope you all liked this chapter.**_


	5. Chapter 5

"A picnic at night?" Zoe asked, looking at what she wearing and the park Wade had taken her too. She wasn't dressed for a picnic. She had thought that they were headed out to an actual restaurant. Not that she really minded a heads up would have been nice. Hearing Wade's chuckle made her snap her head in his direction.

"What's the big deal?" Wade asked, slipping his hand to the small of her back as they walked.

"I'm not exactly dressed for a picnic, Wade," she retorted.

"You look beautiful, Zo," he commented, stealing a glance at her to see the light pink color that had dusted her cheeks. "But no we're not having a picnic," he confirmed for her. "I didn't bring a picnic basket either."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she told him, bringing her bottom lip into her mouth, biting down lightly. "A picnic would have been lovely if I would have been dressed for it, especially at night," she told him. Wade dropped his hand from her back. Before either one could feel disappointed from the loss of contact, his hand was in hers their fingers tangled around each others.

The restaurant overlooked a little lake, the sun glistening over the blue water. They had been seated right away. Silence lingered over them as they looked over the menu.

"You liking the south?" Wade asked once they had ordered.

"It took a few weeks but I like it," she responded. "You ever been elsewhere?"

"Not really. I haven't really had the need to travel elsewhere. I'm content with what I have in front of me," he winked, casting a pink dusting over Zoe's cheeks.

"The view is quite nice from where I am at," she flirted back. Wade smirked. "I was talking about that view," she giggled looking out the window. Wade shook his head a small chuckle coming out.

"You're something else," he commented. Zoe let a small giggle out.

"What is it you do exactly?" She asked.

"I own a bar in Bluebell, the Rammer Jammer, but I'm working at a bar here in town picking up a few different tricks of the trade," he explained. "I know it's nothing fancy but I like it."

"That's what counts. As long as you like what you do. I'm sure you have a bunch of stories from things you've witnessed over the years," she told him. What he did for a living it didn't matter to her. It was how well they got along and so far she enjoyed spending time with him.

"I do but it's Bluebell and you'd have to see the town to believe any story I was to tell you," he told her trying to figure out if there was a day to take Zoe and Abel to Bluebell.

"Then I guess I'll have to go look at this little town," she commented. She was the one to suggest it.

"Are you busy Sunday?" Wade asked. Zoe shook her head.

"Free as a bird," she informed him.

"I'm headed to check on the place then you guys can tag along if you want." She may have suggested it but he wasn't going to make her or even Abel to go with.

"Of course, Sundays are the one day that Abel doesn't need to be around for," she said. "Who's watching your bar?" Zoe asked. She found it interesting. She had never met anyone so interesting like Wade. Someone so carefree and so unique that it was just so him and she really liked it.

"Wanda, she's amazing." Hearing him call another woman amazing made something twist within her and she didn't like it. "She's kinda out there like her fiancé Tom. Two peas those two," he chuckled. He could see Zoe relax, that is why he added the part about Tom. He could feel the cocky grin that wanted to show seeing that she was jealous. In his mind he could see that this dinner was a date. He wasn't using it in a way to trick her going out with him either. He wanted to fix her car while he had nothing better to do and the price for the part was nothing to him. It was how he was raised. He wouldn't push if she would have said no. "You're not going just to visit Lavon Hayes, are ya?" He asked as there food was brought out.

"You'll never know," she smirked. With the talk about Bluebell and him owning a bar, she had forgotten all about Lavon Hayes being the mayor.

"Is that so?" He remarked. Zoe nodded her head. "What if I refuse to take you with me?"

"I'll go by myself. It can't be that hard to find," she replied back taking a bite of her food.

"You have an answer for everything don't you?" He asked around his own bite of food.

"Hardly," she replied, her mind going to the one place it shouldn't have gone while on a date with Wade.

"Where'd you go?" Wade asked bringing her back.

"No where," she replied. There was no way she going to talk about her ex while on a date with Wade. She had her reservations about this being a date but it was a date and she was okay with that.

Wade studied Zoe whatever she was thinking she didn't want him to know about it so he let the subject go. "I really do hope that my dad isn't driving you nuts already."

"I love your father," she told him. "He really loves you. I swear I know like every childhood story you've been through," she told him, electing a groan.

"You can't believe a word he says," Wade replied shaking his head.

"Why's that?" Zoe shot back, taking a sip of her drink. "I did find the story about you wanting to be Batman very cute. How many bones did you break jumping off the house?" Zoe asked.

"8," he grumbled. Zoe laughed.

"I tried to be wonder woman when I was like 7 and jump off the monkey bars at the local park and broke my arm in three different places," she told him. Wade sat wide eyed at the woman before him. Never in his wildest imagination would he think that she would want to be any kind of superhero and that was awesome.

"You're like the coolest chick ever," he told her, nudging her leg with his foot.

"I'll take what I can get," she replied.

"Abel's friends not all that fond of ya?" Wade asked, finishing off the steak he had ordered. Zoe placed her napkin in front of her mouth while she laughed.

"The ones in New York, no because I told them off more than anything, called the police a time or two on them. It's the reason we left. I wanted a better life for him than that. My boss was nice enough to help me get the job here. I've met a few of his friends here but mostly in passing, he doesn't bring them around," she told him. The only time she's met them was one he begged to spend the night at their places. She wanted to know the kid and their parents.

"The whole single parent thing, I get that, it's not that easy," Wade commented.

"You don't have to tell me that. My dad took off for a job in England when I was little for a better surgeon job. It hurt but for the most part we're still close. He was just never there," Zoe explained.

"How many times did you get to hop the pond?" Wade asked with a smirk.

"Once or twice, but I still never saw him, so it was easier to stay home," she replied with a shrug. It wasn't a big deal, she still had her dad, and he was taking a job that was hard to pass up. She wondered many nights if she would be able to pass a job up like that. Before Abel it would have been easy just to move across the ocean but now it was harder, not that she had anything to worry about, she wasn't going to be given a chance to work abroad ever, not like her own father had been offered. And she was okay with that, she was doing everything she wanted to do.

Wade nodded at that and let the conversation end there. He wasn't going to relive the days where it was just him at home; she didn't need to know that much about his past. Just the things that mattered as whatever was growing between them went along. "I hope you're not horrible at Putt-Putt golf," he smirked, paying their dinner bill.

"I thought I was repaying you for fixing my car?" Zoe asked, eyeing him up.

"You are by providing me company on this lovely evening," he remarked. Zoe rolled her eyes but took his answers. How was she supposed to argue with that?

"You best believe that I've got mini golf mastered," she smirked, getting up with help from Wade. He shot her a look, his hand easily finding hers. "I have a 14 year old son, we couldn't always just shop. I've had welts for days because I've been paintballing, Wade," she told him, earning herself huge shocked eyes from Wade. "I did enjoy playing some laser tag though," she thought out loud. "I've even spent a whole day in an arcade because my son wanted to do it. I don't think there's anything that I won't do for him. I've spent so much time working that when I do get a day off, I want to spend it with him, before he grows up and moves away," she replied.

"You're a great mother," Wade complimented her, opening the car door for her.

"I did the best I could. It wasn't easy. I didn't want a child when I got pregnant with him," she replied, stopping there. She wasn't going to be talking about Jesse with Wade, it was just to weird to be talking about her ex while on a date with someone that could possible be a boyfriend in time. "I was thinking adoption at the time," she told him softly. Her husband was no longer around, leaving when he found out, only to show up a few months before she was due only to leave the day he was born deciding that wasn't the life for him like he had thought it would be.

"What stopped you?" Wade asked, watching the road.

"The second I saw him, I knew there was no way I could let anyone else raise my baby boy. It was going to be hard and trying at times but I was strong enough to overcome it all. Through everything I made the right choice in keeping him."

"He's one lucky kid to have a mother like you," Wade replied. Zoe blushed hearing that. "You ready to get your pretty little butt handed to you?" He asked, parking the car. Zoe's face turned a bright red hearing his little compliment.

"That's where you're wrong," she remarked climbing out of the car. Wade right there his hand falling to the small of her back once more.

They played hole after hole not caring that they were overdressed for a game of putt-putt golf. They were having fun, laughs were shared. Wade was just a tad surprised that Zoe was actually beating him. He had thought she was all talk. He understood that she had done things like this with Abel but that didn't mean that she had mastered it all. He had to wonder how many times she had played with Abel.

"We should have a made a bet," Zoe told him, making a hole in one at the hardest hole the course had. The same hole where it took Wade 3 turns to get his green golf ball into the hole.

"What would you have bet?" Wade asked, heading to the next hole.

"I'm not sure," she responded.

"Women," Wade chuckled, letting Zoe go first. She lightly smacked his arm as laughter fell from her red soft lips; Wade's eyes had landed on them enough throughout the night to know what color they were and how soft they looked.

After they finished their game, which Zoe had won, Wade lead Zoe to a little ice cream stand and they sat at a nearby picnic table and ate the sundae's they had gotten. Zoe had gotten hot fudge and Wade had gotten a caramel one.

"Hey eat your own," Wade chuckled, watching Zoe steal a bite of his sundae. Zoe shook her head.

"I only wanted to taste to see whose is better," she told him.

"The verdict?" He asked.

"Mine," she replied, scooping some of her ice cream up. "Taste," she demanded in a playful tone, holding the spoon for him to eat the ice cream off of it. Wade did as told, locking his eyes with hers. He watched as her cheeks grew to be a rosy pink color.

"You're wrong, mine is so much better," he replied, swallowing the ice cream that was in his mouth. Zoe shook her head.

"Never," she told him, flinging a small amount at him. It landed on his shirt. He looked from the ice cream spot up to her.

"How dare you," he replied with a smirk on his face, dipping his finger into the now melting treat and smeared it across her nose.

"How dare you!" She shouted between giggles.

They both walked away sticky from the ice cream that had ended up all over them and not in their stomachs. They could only do so little about cleaning the sticky mess off of themselves in the public bathrooms.

"I had fun tonight," Zoe told Wade walking to her front door, looking over at him.

"I had fun too, maybe we could do it again sometime, maybe have Abel come along or something," Wade suggested. Zoe nodded.

"I'd like that and I know Abel would as well."

"Great we'll figure something out on the ride to Bluebell in a few days, you really don't have to go if you don't want to," he told her giving her a way out.

"I want to go. I got to meet Lavon Hayes," she smirked. Wade rolled his eyes.

"How can I compete with him?" Wade asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Couldn't tell ya," she remarked, unlocking her front door. "Night Wade," she told him, turning to look at him.

"Night Zo," he replied, kissing her cheek. "Sweet dreams," he replied. Zoe nodded, pushing the door to her house open.

"Wade," Zoe called getting him to stop and walk back to where he was standing.

"Yeah?"

"About that good night kiss," she said.

"What about it?"

"I'd like to have it, if that's okay with you?"

That was all he needed to know, before his lips were on hers, his hands tangling in her hair. Her hands going to his hair and playing with the hair on his neck. The kiss was a sweet one filled with passion. Wade was the one to break the kiss.

"I really want to invite you in, but I can't do that," she whispered, slowly opening her eyes.

"As much as I want that, I'd have to decline," he said, kissing her soft lips once more. "Night Zo," he whispered pulling away from the soft kiss.

"Night Wade," she whispered back, slipping inside of her house, her fingers going to touch her lips that felt like they were on fire.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Bluebell chapter is coming, I'm just finishing a few minor details with that, but in the mean time here's a look into how Zoe and Jesse met, to answer a few of those lingering questions about Jesse.**

* * *

"Let loose and have fun. You experience college once, Zoe," was being yelled at her as she was left alone at the frat house. Venturing further into the throng of people, a cup was pressed into her hand as a group of guys walked past her. Taking a sniff of the vile liquid she set the cup on a nearby table. Getting a new cup she got some beer from the nearby keg. Taking a sip and tasting the bitterness on her tongue she pulled a face. She glared at the manly chuckle.

"What is it you find so funny?" She snapped.

"Not much of a beer drinker are ya?" He asked downing the last of his beer.

"Why does it matter?" She asked coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It doesn't," he shrugged looping his thumbs into his belt loops. "Wanna get outta here?" He asked stepping closer to her.

"Like I'd go anywhere with you," she pointed out in a huff.

"Thought I'd offer you a way out of a party that you don't want to be at. You enjoy the party," he told her moving to walk off.

"That was mighty generous of you but how do I know that I won't end up on the news found in a ditch dead because I was being stupid and left with a stranger?" She asked making her very handsome mysterious man stop and chuckle at her.

"You don't. You willing to take a risk?" He asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Depends, what's your name?" She asked moving an inch closer to him when the music had gotten louder.

"Jesse Copeland," he replied. "Want to see my ID?" He asked dead serious. Zoe nodded. Jesse shook his head a smile playing across his lips. He pulled his wallet out to prove he was telling the truth. "What's your name?"

"Zoe Hart," she responded.

"Well Zoe think you can trust me enough to get a bite of food with me?"

"Not hungry, sorry," she responded.

"A coffee then?" He asked grasping for a straw.

"At this hour?" She asked with a faint smile.

"Can I offer you anything in exchange of leaving this party with me?" He asked.

"Maybe," she called over the never ending music that kept growing in volume. With a chuckle he followed behind the brunette that was a mystery to him.

They had ended up in a little dinner a block away from the frat house. Jesse had gotten a coffee and something to eat. Zoe had gotten a tea and some chili cheese fries. "Where are you from Jesse?" Zoe asked adding a little sugar to her tea.

"I was born in Alabama but I moved to Colorado when I was 13 to live with my grandparents." That was all he was offering and Zoe could see that it wasn't a topic she should be asking questions about. "You from the city here?"

"Not from Boston, no. I'm from New York. I have plans of going back there once I'm done with school. I'm going to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, just like my father," she told him. "I've never been to Colorado," she thought out loud.

"I've been all over the states. I haven't found the right reasons to settle down."

"What are those reasons?"

"The right person," he winked. Zoe blushed looking down at her plate of food. "You don't by chance have a boyfriend do you? I'm not really in the mood to get beaten up over a pretty woman," he smirked.

"You're in luck, I'm single. Classes and helping at the local hospital have kept me very busy. This is the first time I've seen a college party. Lame I know but I'm determined to make my future as bright as possible."

"I don't find that lame at all. You're going after your dreams nothing wrong with making sure that happens."

She should have walked away that night, should have thanked him for the tea and conversation and moved on with her life. But she had agreed to see him time after time, she could feel herself falling in too deep but when she was with him those worries she had about them melted away. When she was with Jesse it was the two of them and no one else, the world at their fingertips.

Promises had been made but when the summer rolled around all those promises seemed to be broken by one or the other. She could tell that he was getting restless and was ready to take off and she had to make him stay because she loved him.

"Why don't we get married," she suggested one night in bed.

"Shouldn't I be asking you," he chuckled kissing her knuckles.

"No," she smiled.

"What brings this on?" He asked turning serious.

"You're always going on about seizing the day and making each moment count. I love you and you love me so why not?" She questioned.

"Then let's do it tomorrow. We'll go to the courthouse and get married. And the second we can afford the wedding of your dreams the wedding you deserve, we'll do it, okay?" He asked. Zoe smiled kissing him her hands traveling along his bare flesh.

The next day saw them married, bringing their lives together. Things were great as they explored nearby states for their honeymoon. Months after getting married it was still going amazingly. Until that one roadblock came up. Looking at the positive test in her hands her face was pale. She wasn't ready to be a mother she had school to finish, a residency to get through.

"You ready, Zo?" Jesse asked through the closed bathroom door.

"I'm not feeling the best. I'm just gonna stay home and rest," she called back hiding the test. She needed to wrap her head around the news first. They've only been married for 4 months been together for 10 months. A baby was a lot to handle and she wasn't sure they could handle a baby.

"What's going on?" Jesse asked the second she walked out of the bathroom. "You were fine this morning and all afternoon you've been nothing but a ball of jitters. Please tell me, Zo. I want to help you," he pleaded with her.

The words I'm pregnant were out of her mouth before she could think about stopping them. The air around them grew tense and Zoe wasn't sure what it was she could do to ease the tension away. "Say something," she begged him, tears pricking her eyes.

"I need some air," he choked out.

Over the next 8 months she quit looking at the door waiting for him to return. She now knew that he wasn't coming back. Her main focus needed to be on school and keeping the baby growing inside her healthy for the family she plans on choosing to raise her son. After all it was for the best. How was she supposed to finish school with a baby attached to her hip?

"Sure you got enough air?" She spat seeing Jesse outside the hall of her apartment.

"You changed the locks," was his reply. Zoe rolled her eyes unlocking the door.

"What is it you want?" She asked. It had been a long day, her feet were swollen and killing her, her back was sore. She wanted to curl up in bed and study before all of her energy was drained.

"You and this baby," he whispered, placing his hands on the baby bump feeling the movement beneath his hands.

"This baby is being adopted," she replied, moving away from him. "Why the sudden change?"

"Because I'm not a deadbeat dad," was his response. "Is there anyway I can make you change your mind?"

"On you or the baby? Because right now I don't want you here," she told him waking to front door and yanking it open.

"Both," he begged.

"No, now get out," she told him.

"Please, Zo," he pleaded walking out the door. She scoffed shutting the door in his face.

He was persistent and Zoe found the cold hard wall she built to keep Jesse away slowly crumble down. She let him back onto her life but she was very adamant about giving the baby up for adoption. Jesse didn't push her on the subject, he let it be. His urge to be in the next city for his next thrill had gotten the best of him. Zoe was denying him the one thing he wanted. He was in the middle of packing his bags when he learnt that his wife was in labor. Not wanting to miss the birth of his son he took off for the hospital.

"Meet your son, Abel Thomas," Zoe whispered through happy tears. Jesse held his son kissing the top of his little head. "I'm keeping him, looking at him and holding him in my arms all the trouble I'm bound to find myself in with finishing school it'll be worth it in the end," she informed her husband. "We can do this, Jesse."

"I'm happy you decided to keep him but Zoe I'm sorry. I thought I wanted this, a family of my own but it's not. I love you and I love Abel but I have to go," he told her handing their son back over to Zoe.

"Is there even a point in trying to stop you from walking out that door?"

"Sadly no, take care of him and yourself," Jesse told her, remorse filling him up.

"Likewise," she responded, looking at her beautiful little boy. "It's the two of us against the world, Abel," she whispered kissing his head hearing the door click shut. "Mommy loves you so much."


	7. Chapter 7

Abel had filled the car ride from Mobile to Bluebell with excited chatter about meeting Lavon Hayes that was the only thing that was on his mind. He didn't care about seeing the town. It was small, that was all he needed to know and the fact Lavon Hayes calls Bluebell home, the rest of it didn't matter. Pulling up to the center of town, Abel had to wipe his eyes with his hands, never in his life had he seen so many people so chipper, every person his attention landed on were wearing smiles, except for two girls that looked to be his age, maybe a year older. The blonde girl wore a smug smirk on her face, he could feel his stomach churn just watching the way she carried herself like was conceited and full of it, and there was something about her that told him to stay away from her. Glancing at the brunette girl that wore glasses with a hurt expression on her face, he was drawn to her, like a moth to a flame.

"I'm going to explore," he called out to his mom, his eyes never leaving the brunette who had taken a seat on a nearby bench after the blonde had walked off with a spring in her step.

"Okay, be careful and meet us," Zoe paused, looking around trying to catch a name of some restaurant.

"The Rammer Jammer," Wade filled in for her. "Around 12, it's hard to miss," he stated. Zoe rolled her eyes at herself, how she could forget about the one reason why they tagged along with Wade in the first place, the Rammer Jammer.

"Will do," Abel said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, walking up to where he had his sights set on.

"Ya know I could feel eyes on me," she said as he approached. "Bluebell doesn't get teen stalkers."

"Uh sorry," he said slightly confused, sitting next to her. "You okay? It looked like it was a pretty nasty argument."

"I'm just peachy keen, who are you?" She asked turning to look at him.

"Abel," he replied. "What's your name?"

"Rose," she told him, a blush evident on her cheeks as he gazed at her.

"Rose's are beautiful but they have nothing on you," he smiled, kissing the back of her hand.

"Such the charmer you are," she told him, pulling her hand away from him, feeling the tingling sensation throughout her whole hand from the simple touch of his lips. Abel shrugged a smile on his lips. "Where are you from?" Rose asked.

"New York originally by I live in Mobile now," he told her.

"I've dreamt about seeing New York at night, lightening up the sky line, it's amazing, right?" She asked eager to hear his answer.

"I guess so," he replied. "I didn't care much for the skyline filled with lights."

"Oh, so what are you doing here?" Rose asked, motioning for him to follow her.

"Wade talks about Bluebell and Mayor Lavon Hayes and I'm such a fan of Lavon's. It was the one thing out of a million different things that I actually have in common with my mom," he explained in one breath. Rose couldn't help but giggle softly at him.

"How do you know Wade?" Rose questioned as she showed him around the little town.

"I walk his dog and he's our neighbor and I think something is going on between him and my mom," he replied, taking in the charm the town had to offer.

"Is that a good thing?" She asked, glancing at him.

"I don't know," he sighed. "Wade's a pretty cool dude, but I still have my dad. He was never the greatest, you can't count on what he says, and his promises mean shit. I lost my respect for him years ago, but he's my dad and I do love him and I need him in my life. And he's one of the main reasons that my mom doesn't date. I want her to be happy but it's hard to trust anyone after the crap she's been through with my dad. I didn't make it easy on her either," he explained in a rush.

"Wade isn't like that, if that's what you're worried about. I've known him since I was a baby. He's one of the nice guys," Rose defended Wade.

"I get that," he told her. "So what's there to do for fun around here?" He asked quickly changing the topic.

"Not much for outsiders," she told him with a smile on her face. "But there's always a little something. Some of the kids hang out at the Rammer Jammer but most hang out by the hole. It's our little hideaway from hidden eyes," she explained for him.

"Hole? Hidden eyes?" He questioned with a laugh. It sounded something straight out of a horror movie.

"Yeah," she replied shaking her head, stopping in the street. "It's a small town and everyone is looking for the latest gossip to pass time, so all eyes are on the look out for the juiciest gossip around, like right now it's you and your mom, I'm sure Dash will have a blog about it. The hole is just this little lake a few miles out of town, in the middle of nowhere."

"Why would someone write a blog on me and my mom? That's just crazy," Abel stated shaking his head. This whole town was nuts. Did they not have anything better to do? His eyes scanned the buildings as they continued on their little walk around town.

"Dash gives people the answers they want to know, or at least close to it," she replied. "Look it may seem weird to you but it's really not," she assured him, giving him a nudge with her shoulder.

"Right," he responded with a crooked smile.

"And who do we have here?" The blonde girl from earlier asked, batting her eye lashes at Abel. He groaned finding a sudden interest in the sidewalk.

"What do you want now Magnolia?" Rose asked in a tired voice.

"I just want to know who your little friend is," she replied in a flirty voice reaching out for Abel.

"He doesn't want to know you," Rose spit out with a wicked smile on her face, stepping in front of Abel shielding him from the evil that was Magnolia.

"Is that so?" Magnolia questioned, stepping closer to Abel, ignoring Rose. "That hurts my feelings," she pouted, her hands resting over her heart. "I'm Magnolia Breeland," she said with a coy smile, holding her hand out.

"Are you all named after flowers? Rose, Magnolia, what flowers gonna be next?" Abel asked, his eyes widening seeing Lavon Hayes walk out of the Butter Stick. He briefly heard the giggle that escaped Rosa and the scoff from Magnolia. "It's Lavon Hayes, catch ya later Rose," he flashed her a smile and dashed across the street to where Lavon had just gotten off the phone.

"You must be Abel," Lavon chuckled watching the shocked face of Abel turn from shock to pure amazement because Lavon Hayes knew his name.

"How?" He questioned, shaking some of his stupor off.

"I met your mom just a few minutes ago and please don't make Lavon's ego burst anymore than she already made it."

"Deal," he grinned. "What's so special about Bluebell that you would want to be mayor of this town for?" Abel asked as he started to walk next one of his heroes.

"It's home and when I left the NFL I was feeling lost on what it was I wanted to do so I ran for Mayor, thinking it was a long shot but here we are, life can be funny like that," Lavon told him. "How do you like Bluebell so far?"

"It's a bit weird, to be honest. Is there really going to be a blog about me and my mom?" Abel asked. He couldn't get over that.

"I'm sure there will be. Wade doesn't bring people back with him when he comes home. And the last time he was here, we couldn't get him to shut up about his neighbors." Abel flushed red hearing that Wade had talked about them. He figured that Wade would talk about his mom but never about him.

"What he say about me?" Abel asked curiously.

"Mostly that you were a good kid," Lavon replied. "I would love to chat, but I have few things that I need to take care of; I hope you enjoy your time in Bluebell," Lavon told him.

"It's like you're trying to sell me a home in Bluebell," Abel told him with a chuckle.

"Keep that in mind for a few more years," Lavon smirked and walked off. Abel shook his head. Looking around the little town it wasn't so bad. He could see why most everyone had a smile on their faces, this place made you smile.

"I'm Dash DeWitt, you are?" An older man asked. Yeah no one ever just walked up to him on the street and started to talk to him without maybe wanting to sell him drugs or maybe even wanting to kidnap him or something like that.

"Abel, are you really going to write a blog about me and my mom?" He asked, stepping back when the tape recorder was shoved in his face.

"Depends," Dash told him. "Walk with me, won't you?" Dash asked him. Abel nodded and cautiously walked with this new man that was going to write a blog about him, which he found funny and strange and a little uneasy. "Do you like plays?" Dash asked.

"Uh I guess," Abel responded. Dash lit up.

"Perfect we're, I was outvoted on this but we're putting on Beauty and the Beast and Rose is our very own Belle and you would be a perfect Beast, of course you'd have to try out, which will only take moment of your time," Dash explained.

"Sign me up," Abel smiled. He agreed so quickly hearing that Rose was going to be in the play and if he could use this time to befriend Rose the better it was for him. He liked Rose a lot, he's never felt this way about a girl before and it was scaring him. He really wished he could talk about things like this with his dad, but it wasn't like he talked to him all that often, he was lucky if he talked to him once every month for a few short minutes. There was no way he could talk to his mom about this stuff, it was too embarrassing. Maybe he could talk to Wade.

"Fabulous, follow me," Dash told him brightening up.

'This town was nuts, but it really wasn't that bad,' were Abel's final thoughts before he walked into the theater to audition for a play that he knew very little about. He never read the books or watched the movies. He was a dude not a little girl. But he was doing this for time with Rose and the one little fact that he would be kissing her. It was common knowledge that the prince always got to kiss the princess, Beauty and the Beast was no different.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed seeing some of Abel's time in Bluebell. Zoe in Bluebell will be the next chapter. I just couldn't stop myself from writing this to add in Zoe. I was having fun writing Abel.**


	8. Chapter 8

"It's true," Wade grinned, tossing his arm around her shoulders, holding her close to him. "You really did come to Bluebell to meet Lavon Hayes. You totally forgot the name of my bar," he pouted. Zoe elbowed him in the gut her eyes never leaving her son as she watched him interact with a girl around his own age. "Ah you have nothing to worry about there, Rose will keep him in his place," Wade smirked, looking to see what had all of Zoe's attention. He actually felt proud that Abel had taken an interest in Rose and not any of the other teen girls roaming around Bluebell. Not that he had anything against the teens in the town, it was just that Rose was more like Abel and then they were nothing alike, they were kinda perfect to be friends or maybe more with the way he was watching Abel drool over the girl.

"It's just that he's not ready to be interested in girls," Zoe sighed. The words that had left her mouth were a lie and she knew it, she had been witnessing the small little changes in her son over the few last years, she wasn't ready for her little boy to grow up, she didn't want to believe it to be true.

"Him or you?" Wade questioned, steering her in the direction of the Rammer Jammer. He found it weird to be watching Abel hit on Rose. He had to wonder if he looked that awkward hitting on girls when he was that age, he pushed that thought out of his head, of course he didn't, he was smooth.

"Excuse me?" Zoe asked, moving away from his side regretting it instantly. "What does that mean?"

"Your kid is growing up and," he was having trouble trying to express himself here; he couldn't find the right words to use without hurting her already tender feelings. He brought her and Abel along to enjoy the little town he had grown up in, not insulting her on the fact she wasn't ready to watch her son grow up. He couldn't imagine how hard that was for her.

"No, I'm not ready for him to start dating," Zoe told him, shaking her head, letting him off the hook on how he was going to say that to her. "He's my baby," she whispered. He chuckled, putting his arm around her once more feeling the chilly breeze in the nearly 98 degree heat. Zoe melted against his side.

"You afraid he's going to hear you call him your baby?" Wade asked as they started on their decent to the Rammer Jammer.

"Maybe," she replied. "So tell me all about Bluebell," she told him.

"She that spot right there?" He asked pointing to a random spot in the street. She nodded her head curious to hear what it was he was going to say. "I was learning how to drive and this dick stopped right in front of me with no warning what so ever and I ended up rear ending him. Words were spoken and we got into this huge fist fight that was the first time I had to stay the night in the little jail we've got here. Normally Sheriff Bill would just take me home, but that night he refused," Wade told her with a cocky smirk he was proud of.

"Why would he refuse to take you home?" Zoe asked as they came up to the Rammer Jammer.

"Life lesson, or so he said," Wade chuckled. "I learned nothing that night. Hell I was in more fights after that night than I had ever been before that."

"I see someone let his rep get the best of him," Zoe replied with a playful smile on her face as they entered the Jammer. She looked around feeling the southern vibe mixed in with a sense of a home feeling. It was nice and not something she was expecting, though to be honest she wasn't sure what to expect. She didn't just want to assume that the place was going to be some dump in the middle of the woods; she did want to give Wade all the benefit in the world that his place was better than that and it really was.

"Take a seat wherever, I just need to check on a few things and try not to let the locals here get to ya," Wade told her with a smile, heading off towards the back of the place. Zoe looked around to see that the whole place had gotten quiet the second they had walked through the door and now all eyes were on her.

"Get back to your food and gossipin' about whatever was y'all were gossipin' about," a petite red head demand walking up to Zoe. "Don't mind them, I'm Wanda," the woman introduced herself.

"Zoe," she told her. "I'm fine in a big town but toss me in a small town like this one and I feel out of place," Zoe shared, walking to the bar and taking a seat.

"Can I get you anything? Where ya from?" Wanda asked, going around the bar.

"Club soda will be fine. Mobile," Zoe replied. Mobile was her home now and New York seemed like a lifetime ago.

"You and Wade make such a cute couple. How long have the two of ya been dating?" Wanda asked getting Zoe her drink.

"We're not a couple," Zoe replied. "At least I don't think so," she added on. "We've only gone out on one date." Did the two dinner's count? No they couldn't count because the night he had come over, Abel invited him over and it was Wade's first night in Mobile and Wade was only being friendly inviting them over to his place to return the favor. They had one date; with one helluva good night kiss. Today was just him showing them Bluebell, nothing pointed towards this being a date, but she wasn't going to rule anything out, not when she was dealing with Wade.

"You two are still darn cute together," Wanda told her, going to walk off when Lavon had approached them.

"Hey Wanda, is Wade in yet?" Lavon asked. Zoe was left staring at the man before her. She had seen him plenty of times on TV and in pictures but they had not done him justice whatsoever.

"He's in the back, I'm sure he wouldn't if you go on back, Lavon," Wanda told him, walking off heading in the direction of the customers that needed her.

"It's really Lavon Hayes," Zoe said with a smile on her face. "Former Linebacker for the Crimson Tide, Lavon Hayes, you're the Lavon Hayes that won not one but…"

"Two Super Bowls," Lavon cut her off with an amused smile on his face. "Yes, I'm that Lavon Hayes," he chuckled.

"I'm Zoe Hart, Wade's neighbor in Mobile, his dad's doctor at that," she rambled on earning herself another chuckle from the man that had taken a seat next to her at the bar. "If you can't tell me and my son Abel, he's around here somewhere are huge fans of yours."

"You are the reason they came to Bluebell in the first place," Wade informed his friend, joining them behind the bar, refilling Zoe's drink for her. Zoe blushed, looking away from Lavon to glare at Wade. He sent her a wink turning his attention to his friend. "Wanda said you were looking for me, figured you'd be stuck with Zoe here," he said.

"Hey now," Zoe protested. "I wasn't keeping him against his will, he was free to walk away at any given moment," Zoe informed both of them.

"Is that so?" Wade questioned with a smirk.

"Yes, just like I can't keep Able from growing up," Zoe stated turning to look at Lavon. "He's 14 and no longer my baby, I just watched him not only hit on but flirt with Rose right in the center of your town square," she sighed. Wade looked up shaking his head slightly.

"Oh boy," Lavon chuckled. "Z, he can't stay a baby forever," Lavon told her giving her a little nickname that made her grin at the man.

"I know this," she replied, sitting up straighter. "Doesn't mean I have to like it," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Moving on," Wade said, leaning across the bar, his fingers reaching for Zoe's, which she gladly accepted linking her fingers with his. Something Lavon had picked up on, but was remaining quiet on for the moment. Wade would tell him when he was ready to. "Did ya need something?" Wade asked; remembering just then that Lavon had been looking for him for some reason.

"Oh yes," Lavon said, just remembering why he came into the Rammer Jammer for. "A pipe burst this morning, I checked the gate house to make sure nothing was wrecked, but I didn't dig through the stuff you have here to really make sure nothing had gotten wrecked on ya. Thought I'd let ya know so you can check better than I did," Lavon told him.

"Alright, I'll go have a look at that now," Wade told him. "Wanna come Zo?" Wade asked. Zoe slipped off her chair, giving the former Linebacker a friendly hug. Lavon had graciously hugged her back. He truly liked Zoe Hart, doctor-to-Earl-and-soon-to-be-Wade's-girlfriend.

"You take care of him for me, will ya?" Lavon stage whispered in her ear, making Wade roll his eyes.

"I'll do my best, Lavon," Zoe replied, pulling away from him. "But you know Wade, he's on a mission to make everything in life his bitch," she told them sweetly. Both men looked at her with their mouths open. "Good thing I'm a doctor so I can save your lives once you swallow a fly," she told them getting them to shut their mouths.

"That was hot," Wade breathed into her ear. He had never once in the time he spent with Zoe heard her swear and he wanted to see what buttons to push to make her say even more vulgar things. Zoe blushed, looking down.

"Later," Lavon called, quickly making an exit. Wade taking Zoe into his arms pulled her in for a soft and slow kiss that took only a few seconds before it got hot and heavy, everything around them forgotten about.

It was the loud throat that was being cleared next to them that had them pulling away from each other. Zoe with her face a bright pink color buried her face into Wade's chest. She was just telling Wanda not even 10 minutes ago that she wasn't dating Wade and here she was making out with him in front of people who loved their gossip, no less.

"What can we do for ya Dash?" Wade asked resting his chin on top of Zoe's head, his hands lightly roaming over her back, letting her know that it was okay. Dash went into this whole lengthy talk about the play and how he personally would like to have Abel join in, he had seen Abel with Rose and saw the connection the two teens had it was exactly what they needed for the play.

"I really think it would do Abel a world of good for him to get involved with this. I've been trying for a long time to get him to widen his horizon and this is the perfect way to make a start on that. You have my permission to ask him. Persuade him in any way possible to make him join," Zoe told him pulling her head away from Wade's chest.

"With the eyes he and Rose were sharing just a minute ago, I don't think it will be very hard," Dash chuckled. Zoe groaned, letting her eyes shut and her head fall back to Wade's chest. He lightly kissed the top of her head. Dash looked at them curiously. Wade mouthed ran to him before Zoe could start to go on about her baby boy growing up too fast.

"Why don't we go for that walk and I'll finish telling you all about Bluebell," Wade offered to get her mind off of the fact her little boy was growing up way to fast for her liking.

"Yeah?" Zoe questioned. Wade nodded and moved so his arms was still around her but where they could walk out into the burning hot sun and walk the distance to the Gate house.

Wade was just finishing up the story about how his father would drink away his government check every month and threaten to jump off of Nate's hardware store and the only way to get Earl down was for Wade to sing Moon River. Zoe smiled at the story. Not because Earl was crazy and out of his mind but that deep down Wade really does love his father.

"Is that why I heard singing coming from your dad's room on more than one occasion?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah," Wade admitted sheepishly, walking up the steps to the gate house.

"I find it amazing and so very sweet of you Wade," Zoe told him with a soft kiss to his cheek. Wade actually blushed hearing her words. "So this is your home, huh?" Zoe questioned, seeing the boxes and other things thrown around the place. She had tried to find any family pictures that he had to have left behind, but none could be spotted.

"Use to be," Wade announced making a quick look around the place to make sure everything was still good and not damaged from the water.

"Why don't you have these in Mobile?" Zoe asked, looking at three guitars that were leaning against a wall. Wade walked over.

"I haven't had the need or the want to pick one up and write any songs as of late. I do have one in Mobile with me," he replied.

"Oh, how come you haven't written any?" Zoe asked, turning to wrap her arms around his waist.

"The muse just isn't there and I don't have time to focus on writing," Wade responded, kissing her forehead. "Come on we should get back before Abel thinks we left him here and they will eat him alive," Wade joked; at least Zoe was hoping that Wade was joking about that. She nodded her head and they made the trek back into town as Wade shared more stories from his childhood. She was really looking forward to meeting this George Tucker and Lemon Breeland to see what they were really like.

Walking past a few shops they ran into the very people Zoe had wanted to meet holding hands. Zoe stood staring at the pair. Lemon looked all prim and proper, there was no way that she would wreck havoc and pull pranks in High school. George dressed in his suit looked well everything but the hell raiser Wade was talking about.

"They can't be the ones you pulled pranks with in high school. Look at 'em," Zoe said, her eyes going from Lemon to George back to Wade every few seconds.

"Oh, it's true," George laughed. "We just happened to grow up, something Wade here as forgotten to do over time."

"You are?" Lemon asked with distaste in her mouth.

"Dr. Zoe Hart," Zoe replied feeling a need to tack on the doctor part.

"Mom, Mom, guess what?" Could be heard as Abel rushed down the sidewalk to his mom with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Hmm, do I get a hint?" Zoe asked with a smile. Abel rolled his eyes as his stomach started to grumble.

"Why don't you tell us over some lunch," Wade suggested. He too was feeling hungry.

"That'd be great," Abel told him, walking ahead of them.

"It was nice meeting you," Zoe replied. It was the truth when it came to George and she could have gone without ever meeting Lemon.

"Same to you Doctor, I do hope you come back to visit. Wade you should bring her here for Planksgiving," George suggested walking off with Lemon on his arm.

"Planksgiving?" Zoe asked. Wade laughed and promised he would tell her all about it after they heard Abel out.

After they had ordered their food, Abel wasted no time in telling his mom about being cast as the Beast in Beauty in the Beast. Zoe had never seen her son so enthused about anything in his life. She did notice the far away look he got whenever he would mention Rose. As much as she hated watching her son get a crush on a girl, she was happy for him, really happy that he was finding a place to fit in, even if it was because of a girl.

"I wish Dad wasn't coming for Thanksgiving," Abel sighed after hearing Wade tell them all about Planksgiving in Bluebell. Abel wanted to dress up as a pirate and look for lost treasure, who wouldn't? But there was no way he was going to risk missing his father. It had been over a year since the last time he had spent any real time with his father, the last time he had seen him.

"Your ex is coming for the holidays?" Wade asked in a hushed voice wanting to keep Abel from hearing this conversation in particular. He was also trying to keep the jealousy he felt rise within him at the mention of Abel's father joining Zoe and Abel for Thanksgiving.

"It wasn't my idea, he invited himself," Zoe sighed, resting her hand on his leg. "Abel told him all about you and he insists that you come over. You don't have to though, he'll be bad enough but my mom is going to be there and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything like that," Zoe quickly told him, resting her hand on his leg.

"I'm not saying that I won't be there and I'm not saying I will be there, I just want to take this whole thing in and think about it for a few days and see where exactly we are when the time comes," Wade told her. Zoe nodded, feeling him lace his fingers with hers under the table. "Did you meet Lavon Hayes?" Wade asked, turning the conversation onto a happier topic.

"Did I ever!" Abel exclaimed tossing his arms in the air. "He knew my name, can you believe it?" Abel asked with big eyes. Wade chuckled letting a smile settle on his lips as Abel went on about his encounter with Lavon, making sure he swapped stories with his mom in the process.

He wasn't sure how he had expected today to go, with Abel and Zoe in Bluebell with him. But he was relieved when the town kept their distance. He didn't want all of their crazy to be unleashed on them in just one visit. With Abel in the play they were going to be in Bluebell quite frequently. He'd have to make more trips with them, just in case.


	9. Chapter 9

With rehearsals in Bluebell every Tuesday and Thursday with a few Saturdays added in, Abel was feeling himself growing tired. On the days he was needed in Bluebell he would rush home from school and quickly walk the dogs and rush back home where he either caught a ride from Wade or his mom and there had been a few days that he had to catch the bus and walk from where the bus dropped him off at. He was starting to get exhausted and he really wanted to quit the play but he wasn't going to be a quitter like his dad had been. He was going to stick this out, he only had until the middle of January until the opening day of the play and they were only going to have the play run for two weeks.

In the course of spending time running through his lines with Rose and just spending a few extra minutes with Rose two or three days a week he found himself growing closer to Rose. And the play wasn't all that bad; he did get to pretend to kill the bad guys so he found that was cool. The less time he had to spend around home it was like magic to him. He gagged every time he saw his mom and Wade together being all mushy.

After they got back from Bluebell Wade had bluntly told Zoe that he hoped she wanted the same thing that he did and that he really wanted her to be his girlfriend. That was all Zoe needed to hear before she jumped into his arms claiming his mouth with her own.

Wade and Zoe had spent plenty of nights together. When she had to work the late shift, Wade agreed to keep an eye on Abel at night for her. He had even popped in on a Saturday night when Abel was staying the night at Lavon's place because rehearsal ran over and Lavon was gracious enough to let him stay there.

With work, school and plays the day's dwindled away and they were a few days shy of Thanksgiving. Zoe was waiting at the airport for her mom Sunday morning, while Abel stayed behind to catch up on some sleep since it was Sunday and he didn't have any rehearsal's, dogs to walk or any homework to do. He planned on spending time in bed all day before he had to head back to school for three days. He was just happy that he didn't have any rehearsals this week.

"You really shouldn't let Abel over exert himself," Candice scolded her on the drive back. "I still don't understand why you couldn't come home for the holidays."

"Because Abel has dogs to walk on Friday and I have to work, Mom. I told you in order for us to visit around Christmas time you needed to come down here," she sighed biting her tongue on saying more. The second Candice spotted her in the airport she had been on Zoe about something or another. "I'm not making Abel do anything he doesn't want to do. He loves walking and playing with the dogs, he enjoys being apart of the play, I can't ever remember a time where he was this happy," Zoe replied, parking her car.

"Are you certain that Jesse is going to show up?" Candice asked stepping out of the car.

"I have no idea," Zoe responded, meeting her mom at the back of the car, opening the trunk to help her mom with her luggage. "I can only go by what he says and according to him he'll be here Wednesday afternoon. Whether he shows up that's up to him, I'm not holding my breath," Zoe told her mom, shutting the trunk and taking one of her mother's suitcases into the house, Candice following behind her. "Abel can you please show your grandma to her room and keep her company while I work this afternoon?" Zoe asked her son, who just so happened to come downstairs to get something to eat.

"Of course," Abel replied, taking the suitcase from his mom, turning to Candice, "Hi grandma," he smiled, moving to wrap an arm around her for a hug.

"My boy, you've gotten so big," Candice beamed, lightly patting his back.

Zoe shot her son a look to behave and he rolled his eyes as Zoe walked out the door.

After a hectic day of working in the emergency room, Zoe was happy to be home where she could sit down and let her feet rest. She was expecting to come home to find Abel and Candice all talked out and both of them doing their own thing. So the picture that greeted her when she stepped through the front door made her freeze. Seeing her son, her mom and her boyfriend in the middle of playing Monopoly as they laughed about something or another was not an image she thought she would ever see in her life, but here they were being a happy little family.

"What's going on here?" Zoe asked, placing her things on the stand by the door, walking further into the room, that's when she noticed that Hobs was laying on the floor between where Wade sat on the couch and where Abel was sitting on the floor.

"Wade brought over dinner," Abel replied. "We weren't really sure what time you were going to be home so after Grandma grilled Wade about what he does and his intentions we started to play Monopoly," he explained. Zoe glanced over at her mom, but it was Wade's words that had her biting back a smile.

"She was only making sure that I was good enough for you and I respect that. It wasn't the ideal way to meet your mom, I really thought you had today off, but it worked out and she cares about you Zo," Wade responded. Zoe nodded sitting next to Wade on the couch.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were dating such an amazing guy, so much better than the one you had married," Candice stated her smile turning into a scowl.

"With all this talk from the airport this morning it slipped my mind," Zoe replied, taking her shoes off.

"Abel why don't you go get your mom the food we saved for her," Wade suggested. Able nodded and pushed himself up from the floor and headed to the kitchen. Candice smiled watching Wade pull Zoe's feet into his lap as he rubbed them.

"It's getting late and I'm beat from all the traveling," Candice gave as her excuse to make herself vanish from sight, wanting to give the two some time alone.

"That feels really nice," Zoe happily sighed as Wade moved from the right foot to the left one.

"Happy I could please you on this fine night," Wade winked, sending a blush over Zoe's cheeks and neck.

"As a growing teen I need my sleep," Able said handing Zoe the bowl of pasta. He quickly got the game picked up and put away. "Night mom, love you," he said hesitating to kiss his mom's cheek in front of Wade.

"Night Abel, love you," Zoe replied, looking up at her son, waiting to see what he was going to do.

"Ya know I won't go back and tell Rose about this," Wade told him seriously, seeing the hesitation within Abel. "Giving your mom a little kiss doesn't make you any less of a man," he tacked on. Abel looked at Wade before he bent down and kissed his mom's cheek. "I wish I could have been your age and been able to kiss my mom's cheek and tell her I love her everyday, don't stop because you think it's silly or because you think it's embarrassing," Wade told him.

"Thanks Wade and uh night," Able told him heading up the stairs.

"Night," Wade called after him.

"Thank you for that and for dinner, this is really good," Zoe moaned over the bite in her mouth.

"It was my ma's," Wade shrugged, moving so he pull Zoe closer and kiss her now that they were alone.

"Hi," she whispered pulling away.

"Hey," he responded, resting his forehead against hers.

They were so wrapped in their own little world that they didn't hear the knock at the door or how happy Abel was when he opened the door to reveal just who was standing on the other side. "What I sight to walk in on, my little brother and my ex-wife."

Both Zoe and Wade froze looking towards the door. Neither one could say anything other than to mutter Jesse's name.

"Wait!" Abel said, looking at the three adults in the room with a look of horror on his face. "My mom is dating my uncle?" He questioned, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid so, buddy," Jesse said. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves," he said shaking his head.


	10. Chapter 10

Abel sat on the stairs listening to what his parents and Wade were yelling at each other in what they assumed were quiet yells. Finding out that he had an uncle was beyond awesome; finding out said uncle was his mom's boyfriend not so awesome. He liked Wade and for him to be his uncle that was pretty cool, he just didn't want things to be so messed up. Up until lately he wanted his parents to get back together. What kid didn't want that? He wanted his dad to change it wasn't until he got older that he realized that wasn't going to happen.

It was the hand on his shoulder that made him nearly jump right out of his skin. Looking up he saw that it was only his grandma looking at him with curiosity in her eyes. "Dad showed up early for once," Abel stated, his emotions were surely draining and the late hour of the night was starting to affect him. "Wade is dad's brother," he finished getting up. The voices had grown quiet and whatever the outcome turns out to be well he find out in the morning.

Candice had half a mind to join the three in the kitchen but at the very last minute decided against it. It wasn't going to help any of them if she stuck her nose into this tonight. She'd have plenty of time over the next few days. So instead she went back to the guest room that was hers for her visit. She did leave the door open a crack, just in case.

Things in the kitchen had calmed down enough for them to sit around the table in a civilized manner. Wade feeling a pressure from his brother tossed an arm around Zoe making sure Jesse knew to stay away. Jesse only smirked leaning on the table. As for Zoe she felt awkward as ever. She liked this possessive side to Wade but it was something she didn't want to deal with all the time. Being stuck in this little triangle wasn't any fun.

"I can't believe you guys didn't figure this whole thing out," a smirking Jesse laughed.

"How can I figure things out when you gave yourself some random name?" Wade hissed, staring daggers at his brother.

"Wait!" Zoe exclaimed. "That's not your mom's maiden name?" Zoe asked looking at Wade as she spoke. She couldn't ask Jesse because she didn't want to hear any more of his lies.

"No," Wade shook his head. "Her maiden name is Hugh," Wade told her softly, rubbing her arm.

"Oh," Zoe replied looking down at her hands on the table. Wade placed his free hand on top of hers.

"What is it you want?" Wade asked looking over at his brother.

"I happen to find you playing house with my family cute but I'm here now little brother. I can take care of my wife and my son," he told them a dead serious look on face.

"I find that rather funny. You wanted nothing to do with us then, what changed?" Zoe asked the pain of him constantly walking away when things got hard coming out. "Are you jealous that your younger brother is not only a better boyfriend than you but a better male role model for Abel?" She asked her bitterness towards her ex wrapped around each word spoken. "I'm not your wife, remember the divorce?" She asked with a snarl.

"Fuck you, Zoe!" Jesse snarled, sending the chair he was sitting in flying backwards, crashing against the wall. "You knew it wasn't going to work, you not only trapped me with a marriage but a kid," he hissed.

Wade was up and in his brothers face the kitchen table the only thing between them. "You don't ever talk to her like that," Wade threatened his voice low. "And that kid is amazing and you shouldn't be his father. He was handed a pretty low deal getting you as a father," Wade stated his voice even and calm.

"Real nice Wade," Jesse sneered. "When did a woman come before your brother?"

"When my so called brother left and kept me from knowing anything about him. Did I know that you were ever married? Or that you had a kid? Or that you had ever changed your last name?" Wade shot back. "The thing is Jesse I don't know a single thing about you. You kept me out of your life the day you took off, those handful of days that you had managed to walk back into my life; we never talked about anything personal, now did we? You're not my brother, not really, just some stranger that I share the same DNA with," Wade finished off.

"This is some welcome home party," Jesse smirked, fixing his chair to sit down in once again, letting everything his brother had just said roll off his back, it was the truth and it hurt but Jesse knew that he only had himself to blame for that and he was starting to think it was something that could never be fixed.

"In order to have a welcome home party we'd want you to be here," Wade quipped out. "And this isn't your home," he scoffed.

"You say that now," Jesse smirked leaning closer to his little brother. "But I have this influence over my ex-wife, who will dump you to be with me again," Jesse said matter-of-factly.

It was Zoe's grip on his arm that kept him for launching across the table at his brother. Wade looked down at Zoe to see her pleading eyes. He nodded closing his eyes taking a deep breath. Zoe got up pulling Wade to the door, with a final glance at Jesse they walked through the door shutting it behind them.

"I didn't know," Zoe told him near tears. She was afraid of so many things going wrong now that they were both linked to Jesse.

"I know," Wade sighed, pulling her closer to him, breathing in her scent to calm his nerves.

"I don't want him," she whispered her eyes tightly shut to keep the tears in.

Wade didn't respond to that, instead he kissed her forehead breaking the hold they had on each other, with one small squeeze to her hand he walked away. He felt like a jackass for walking away from her when she needed him, but this whole mess was something he still needed to get his mind wrapped around. He just found out that his brother was the father to his girlfriend's kid. He didn't know how he was supposed to handle that. He felt even worse when he looked back over at Zoe's place to see that she was watching him, it broke him even more to see in the soft light from the yard light above her head the wet trails on her rosy cheeks. Hanging his head he walked inside his house, shutting the door. It wasn't until he had made his way up to his bed that he realized that he forgot his dog at his girlfriend's place. Hobs would be okay for one night because there was no way he could go back over there tonight.

Zoe felt herself crumble with each step Wade had taken back to his place, each piece turning into dust as he shut the lights off as he went upstairs to his room. With a deep sigh and a wiping the salty water from her face she headed back inside her house to deal with her unwanted visitor. Jesse was still sitting in the same chair just now he was leaning back with his arm slung over the back of the chair, his smug smirk still in place.

"Why come early?" Zoe asked keeping her distance from him.

"Because I wanted to spend time with my son," he replied back getting up from the chair and moving to the Kitchen Island where Zoe was standing. "Because unlike the rest of you, I had all the right information and felt like I needed to share my findings with everyone else. Do you think that I like the fact that my little brother is dating my ex-wife?" He asked.

"It wouldn't have happened if you would have told everyone the truth about who you were and if you wouldn't have kept Abel and me this big secret from the rest of the world. Besides you don't have a say in whom I date. What I do with my life is no concern to you," Zoe told him shaking her head, moving through the kitchen.

"The people that matter the most knew about you and Abel," Jesse told her. "And who you bring around my son is my concern and I do have a say in that."

"So you're saying that your brother, that your family doesn't matter to you?" Zoe asked feeling herself grow outraged at him. "And no you don't. You can't walk in and out of his life when it's convenient for you and think you can still call the shots, being a dad doesn't work like that, Jesse."

"I messed up, Zoe and I want the chance to prove to you and to Abel that I've changed," Jesse pleaded.

"You're out of chances Jesse. I can't keep you from seeing Abel, but if he doesn't want to see you then you need to respect that. You can't expect him to be okay with you walking through his life like you don't care. At some point he's going to be sick of that and stop wanting to see you and stop talking to you. And that will be on you, Jesse," Zoe told him with a sigh. "I think you need to go now," she told him, walking to the front door.

"So it's like that now?" Jesse asked following behind her. "You hook up with my brother and you no longer need me," he sneered.

"I no longer needed you when you walked out of the hospital room the day your son was born," Zoe told him. "And Wade has nothing to do with this. Now get out," Zoe told him sternly, pulling the door open for him.

"I'll be back to see my son," Jesse hissed walking out the door.

"I know," Zoe sighed, shutting and locking the door.

With the events of the last hour numbing her mind she was able to turn the lights off giving Wade's house one final look, before she went up stairs. She stopped in Abel's room to see that he was asleep. She kissed his head walking out and going to her room. With in a few minutes of crawling into bed, her mom was there. Candice said nothing as she moved to sit on her daughter's bed. Zoe moved into her mother's arms, needing the comfort that only her mother could give her. Come morning she knew that everything her mom was holding back would be said, but for tonight she just needed her mom.


	11. Chapter 11

When Wednesday night rolled around Zoe was more than ready for the holidays to be over with, for this past week to have never happened. Wade wasn't taking to her. Seemed he spent his free time either with his dad or in Bluebell. Jesse on the other hand she couldn't get rid of. She liked having him there for Abel; she could never grow tired of seeing the smile on his face put there by his father. As for her mom, she liked having her around, it was the comments she made about Wade she didn't like. And the second Zoe asked her what she meant Candice waved it off. Zoe knew from the time that she had spent with Wade that he was nothing like Jesse so those little comments were driving her nuts.

"I'm just saying that you need to be careful. At first glance Wade is sweet and the type of guy to keep around but Jesse is his brother," Candice stated over a cup of coffee while Abel was hanging out with Jesse.

"Wade is nothing like Jesse. Wade could never do what his brother has done," Zoe stressed.

"You can't be sure," Candice said patting her daughter's hand lightly. "I was talking about how complicated this thing is. Think about it. If things go the long haul and you and Wade have a kid, that the kid's father is going to be Abel's uncle and vice versa when it comes to Jesse."

"No one is saying that I'm riding off into the sunset with Wade tomorrow and that next week there will be a baby. And yes I understand how messed up it will be for Abel but I can't let that be the judging factor in anything," she countered right back.

"I'm not saying you have to dear. Just be cautious that's all I'm saying," Candice said with a sigh. "I want to give Wade the benefit of the doubt here, I do but after I saw what you went through with Jesse and learning that Wade is related to him. I don't want to see you so tore up, that broke my heart, Zoe."

"Wade has already proved that he's better than Jesse could ever be. But," Zoe quickly added cutting her mom off from saying anything. "I'll be careful."

"That's all I ask because I know that I can't force you to break it off with him." Zoe nodded her head; she was old enough to decide what she wanted and who she wanted to spend her time with. "You have your own life here and there's nothing more I can say to change anything in your life, just be careful, sweetie," Candice said, getting up to dump out her now cold coffee.

Looking out the window like she often does to look at Wade's house, Zoe could see that Wade had just gotten home. "I'll be back later," Zoe stated as she headed for the door. It was time to talk to Wade and figure things out, being left in the dark until after Jesse left, that wasn't going to work for her, besides she wasn't totally sure Jesse was going to be taking off. From the look of things Jesse seemed to be content. She had decided that it wouldn't be all that bad for Jesse to stick around for a few months for Abel. Her son's happiness meant more to her than her own happiness.

Approaching Wade's house she looked up to see him sitting on his back porch his eyes trained on her. Hobs lifted his head to see who was bothering his nap; upon seeing Zoe he waged his tail making it thump against the porch. Zoe gave his head a scratch and with a yawn he let his head fall back down to the wooden porch. Zoe smiled at the dogs antics sitting in the chair next to Wade.

"If I knew how to fix this I would," Zoe told him after hearing enough of the world around them going on without a care in the world.

"There is no way to fix any of this," he told her with a sigh. "And that's the problem. We can't change the past and I hate what my brother did to you and what he does to Abel. I hate that he got you first and I hate that he had something special and he didn't know it, he got to go through so many things that I have yet to experience and he doesn't even care, I hate that," he ranted, only stopping when he felt Zoe's soft palm against the back of his hand.

"You can hate him for all those reasons, I can't stop you but you should be thankful for those reasons because if I would have never met him I wouldn't be here today because Abel wouldn't have been born making me stay in New York. Hate him, Wade, I hate him most days. Those select days I love him because he gave me Abel and my son is my life and now I can be thankful for what I went through with Jesse because I have you in my life and those are things I could never change," she told him. "The thing about Jesse he can be an amazing father when he wants to be and Wade you're just an amazing person all around. And you should know that I don't want Jesse in my life other than him being Abel's father. I need a guy I can count on, I need you," she assured him.

"Looking at it that way he did do me one favor, he brought you to me," Wade chuckled, turning his hand over his fingers sliding through hers. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Zo," he told her, looking out over the yard a few cars going by. "It's just everything to do with Jesse," he sighed.

"Oh believe me, Wade, I know this whole thing isn't easy on you, it's not easy on any of us," she told him. "The thing that hurt the most is you just walked away and that reminded me so much of Jesse, because he wouldn't talk things through, he'd just walk away and when he did come back around the topic would be forgotten about because I was happy he was back and I don't want that to be the case here because I know you're nothing like Jesse and I want us to be able to talk about the things that are bugging us, to have it all out in the open," she told him honestly.

"I want that as well. I do happen to find this whole situation funny. If either one of us would have had pictures with Jesse in it, we would have known," Wade said.

"We would have but if we did, I don't think we would be together, because Jesse would have kept us apart. I wouldn't have taken the time to get to know you because I would just assume that you were like him and I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with your brother's ex-wife," she told him.

"I wouldn't have but now I can't stay away, these last few days have been hell on me," he admitted. "I'm sorry for not coming to you sooner," he apologized, his thumb caressing the soft skin on her hand.

"You needed time and as much as I hated you freezing me out of your life, it is understandable. As long as it's okay now," she told him with a hopeful smile on her face.

"If you can overlook the jerk I was being to you," he told her. Zoe let his hand go, moving to sit on his lap. Wade wrapped his arms around her.

"I think I can overlook that if you stop talking and just kiss me already," she whispered against his lips. The soft chuckle that wanted to escape his lips was cut off when he closed the small distance taking her mouth into a searing hot kiss.

Jesse and Abel were walking to the back door the same time Wade and Zoe started there little make out session on his porch. "You sure you're okay with that?" Jesse asked, nodding across the yard.

"Wade is pretty cool, Dad. More importantly he makes mom happy, like super happy. I'm more than okay with it. After learning he was my uncle it was weird but that shouldn't bother me not if he treats mom right and he does. He's a pretty helpful guy," Abel said vanishing inside the house.

Jesse sighed turning on his heel to walk off. His son's words had made him feel pretty crappy. If he would have done things differently than he would still have Zoe in his life the way Wade had her now. He had treated her like the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Getting to his car he cringed slightly hearing the laughter ring out from his ex and his little brother. There were plenty of things he could have done differently but it was too late for that. He made a promise to himself right then and there that he would make amends with all his family members. And maybe just maybe Wade was better for her than he could ever be.


	12. Chapter 12

"We should've taken Grandma up on her offer to have some chefs come in and cook for us," Abel joked looking at what they were in charge of cooking. It was easy stuff to cook and as long as neither one of them left the kitchen they would be okay. At least he hoped so otherwise all they were having was turkey. Wade made sure they knew he was in charge of cooking the turkey.

"Just be glad there's no turkey," Zoe stated with a faint laugh trying to decide what they should make first.

"You nearly burnt our apartment building to the ground last year trying to cook the turkey," he thought out loud for his mom to hear. "I do like our house so I'm happy we don't have the turkey," Abel laughed getting a bowl down.

"I could make you do all of this," Zoe warned, pointing the wooden spoon at her son.

"Could ya?" He asked with a smirk, his father's smirk but now she could see Wade in that smirk more than Jesse.

"Someone is being hysterical today," Zoe deadpanned.

"I'm trying," Abel laughed. Soon enough his laughter died down and he looked at his mom with a serious expression. "I want you to be happy Mom and even if this whole thing is like totally messed up, I can look past it because I don't want to be the one to ruin something that could be real. I like Wade uncle or not and he's good for you, heck he's good for us all. And I know that he won't up and leave like Dad. I mean he came here so he could be closer to his Dad," Abel was saying taking a much needed breath of air. Zoe remained quiet seeing that he had more to say. "Family means something to Wade. By blood Dad and Wade are brothers but in reality neither one knows the other one. Not in that brotherly way. I love Dad, but he adds so much stress and brings this tension with him. He's not good for you and right now I'm not sure if he's good for me or not. But I want to know him and have memories with him. You give me enough love for both you and him. Mom I'm thankful that I was lucky enough to get you as my Mom," he told her. Zoe had to blink back the tears in her eyes that wanted to make their escape.

"Despite popular belief, you're not so bad and I couldn't have asked for a better son," Zoe told him moving over to him and hugging him. "Thank you, Abel." She kissed his head. He didn't even try to wipe it off. "I'm happy that you approve of me being with Wade. I would never want to put you in a predicament where you're uncomfortable. Your happiness is a huge factor with my happiness, Abel," Zoe told him. "Your father may be a lot of things but when he is around, he's a good father and I'm happy that you can look past the rest of it. I want you to have a relationship with him; I could never keep you away from him."

"I know you wouldn't do that, Mom," Abel told her going back to what it was he was doing. Zoe smiled and got back to what she was cooking.

"It's awfully quiet in here and to top it off it smells rather delicious," Candice stated entering the room.

"You happened to walk in on a silent moment between us and duh Grandma," Abel stated with a playful eye roll. "We can cook," Abel held a smirk on his face trying to hold his laughter in. Zoe on the other hand didn't even try, she had burst out laughing.

"You are your Mother's sons," Candice muttered with a smile visible on her face.

"That's not so bad," was Abel's response. "Do you think Wade will like this?" Abel asked then looking over their kitchen, which was decorated the best they could have when they had asked Lavon on how one would decorate for Planksgiving.

"I think he will," Zoe commented, glancing behind her. He couldn't go home for the holiday and Zoe didn't want him to feel left out. This was a little surprise for him, she wanted him to feel like he was at home and there was no better way to do that than to add a few decorations from Planksgiving.

A few minutes later was when Jesse showed up. And to Zoe's surprise he was on his best behavior. He didn't try to hit on Zoe or tell her how big of a mistake she was making regarding anything in her life. He was being the Jesse that she had fallen for years ago. She just wasn't that naïve young adult to do it again. She was happy with Wade, happier than she had ever been with Jesse and she wasn't going to ruin that over a guy that would eventually show his true colors and skip out on them again.

"Earl, what a pleasant surprise," Zoe said with a smile, seeing the older man holding the door open for Wade.

"You do miss me," he joked, meeting Zoe for a hug. "You think I'd miss this?" He asked, his eyes landing on both of his son's. Zoe followed his line of vision shaking her head slightly. "Wade filled me in on everything the last few days. Where is that Grandson of mine?" He asked. He should have been shocked when Wade told him what Jesse had done to Zoe, but he wasn't. He was excited to meet his grandson, he had already heard so much about him from both Wade and Zoe and from the stories he was told he had sounded a lot like both Jesse and Wade growing up.

Just then Abel walked into the room laughing at something that Candice had told him. "Abel come here please," Zoe said to him.

"What's going on?" Abel asked, looking to the man standing with his mom.

"This is your Grandpa Earl," she told him. "Earl this is your Grandson Abel," she introduced, walking off. Wade was right there pulling her into his arms, his lips lingering on hers for a few extra seconds. "Hi," she whispered against his lips, looking up at him.

"Hi. Thank you for this," he said, nodding to the pirate decorations. "You didn't have to do it, but thank you. Being here with you, Abel and my Dad would have been enough." Even if he had spent a night with Candice, he still didn't know much about her or if she saw him in a different light now that they all knew that Jesse was his brother. He could have gone a few more years without ever seeing his brother again. But then again there was no time like the present to try and work things out and they did have a long talk last night after Zoe had left. Zoe had the words she wanted to do this for him on the tip of her tongue but his lips were pressed against hers before she could mutter a single word.

Sitting around the table, it was an unusual gathering of family because in some way they were all family. And the tension that should have been there wasn't there and for one evening they were getting along and sharing laughs and that was what counted and made this holiday a good one. The tension it was still there between Wade and Jesse, that wasn't going to dissipate over night no matter how many times they talked things out. Wade has a lot of resentment towards his brother and it isn't going to be an easy fix, but Wade is trying to let it go, it's just not that easy to do so.

Abel had called for the wishbone and it was sitting on the counter drying. They had sat around the living room as Earl told them stories from when Wade and Jesse were kids. Both of them shaking their heads and denying it ever happened. Zoe found it amusing until Candice started to tell embarrassing stories from when she was a kid. Zoe couldn't hide fast enough or keep the blood from rushing to her face no matter how hard she tried.

After dessert had been served and the plates cleaned off, the laughter long gone, Jesse and Abel decided to take Earl back to his place and Candice suddenly had the enthusiasm for a walk leaving Wade and Zoe alone in the house to clean up from their Thanksgiving feast.

"Can I say thank you for not starting anything and just ignoring the little jabs Jesse had made tonight?" Zoe asked, drying her hands off.

"You can but the last thing I wanted to do was have a fight with my brother on a special night for all of us," Wade countered, tossing his rag on the kitchen counter. "Ya know I find it kinda funny that they all ditched us when it was time to clean up," Wade chuckled. Zoe smiled, putting the towel she had down, moving to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I'm totally fine with that, means I can do this without the awkward looks from the others," she stated, pulling his head down. Wade smirked into the kiss, pushing Zoe against the counter top. As he swiped his tongue along her bottom lip, he placed her on the counter, her legs wrapping around his waist, his tongue plunging into her mouth, eliciting a soft moan from within her. He was able to slip a hand under the shirt she was wearing massaging a breast over the thin lace of her bra. Zoe arched her back feeling his warm fingers on her skin leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

It was the front door slamming against the wall and the laughter that rang out from Jesse and Abel that made them break their intense make-out session. Wade let his head fall against her chest as they tried to regain their breath, waiting for them to enter the kitchen but the footsteps headed up the stairs. Zoe ran her fingers through his hair, closing her eyes.

"I should go," he told her, as her rapid heartbeats sounded in his ear. He really wanted to stay and continue what they were doing, but neither one of them were ready for anything more than what they were doing on the kitchen counter.

"Uh yeah," Zoe responded. Wade pulled away cupping her face.

"If your house wasn't full and if we ready for sex I would be dragging you across the yard to my house, but we're not there yet and I don't see any sense in rushing into something that we're not ready for," he told her with a kiss to her nose. Zoe smiled, bending down slightly to capture his lips with hers.

"Don't forget the bag for Hobs," Zoe called after him, not moving from her spot on the counter. Wade laughed, picking the bag of scraps up from the floor and headed to his own house.

Zoe bit her lip her cheeks flushing a deep red color as she replayed the last few minutes over in her head. She was glad when neither her son nor her ex spotted her checking in on them and whatever game it was they were playing. She smiled going to her room and starting her bathwater. She knew tonight could have gone many different ways but it hadn't and she was thankful that everyone acted in a civilized manner.


	13. Chapter 13

Wade walked downstairs to see Jesse sitting in his living room. Wade rolled his eyes. Today was going to be a good one. He had the day off as did Zoe and he had made plans for them. Thanksgiving had nearly been two weeks ago now and things with Zoe had been amazing as of late. As long as he kept staying away from Jesse when he was around for Abel then all things were good. The less he saw of Jesse the better it was.

"What are you doing here?" Wade asked walking past his brother to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

"You've been avoiding me," Jesse flatly pointed out following behind his little brother. "You have every right to but I thought we came to an understanding," Jesse hissed out.

"Do you really expect me to forgive you after all this time for keeping me from not only knowing who my brother truly is but the fact that he hated who he was so much that he took a different last name? You act like I'm just supposed to swipe it all under a rug," Wade stated adding a little scoff into his voice. He needed time to fully accept how his brother is now and he didn't need Jesse breathing down his neck, which was only going to make it harder for him.

"I didn't hate who I was, I hated that it reminded me of Mom and the life I stupidly left behind. I couldn't handle it. I couldn't stay there and watch Dad slowly kill himself with alcohol, I couldn't stand the whole town looking at us with pity in their eyes. Lastly I couldn't be the brother I should have been for you, so I left thinking it was for the best for everyone especially you, Wade," Jesse explained softly.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Wade asked turning to finally face his brother. "Because I don't, I can't believe that. The Jesse I knew growing up was a helluva lot stronger than this person you're claiming to be. Jesse you're the one that told me to toughen up when I need 16 stitches in my leg. You didn't run because you couldn't handle it, you ran because you didn't want to deal with it and that makes you a coward Jesse," Wade growled out, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe so," Jesse sighed running a hand through his hair. "I didn't tell you about Zoe or Abel because I was ashamed for running out on them when they needed me the most. I was a horrible father and I knew that if I told you about them you would have sought them out and been this incredible Uncle to Abel gave him this strong male role model. It was messed up but it was the jealousy and the shame I had that made me keep them a secret. I never thought you would meet them. Yes I know I'm horrible for doing it. I just want to move past all of this. The truth is out there now and I can't undo anything I've done but I'm trying to make amends," he pleaded.

"Yeah until you get bored and decide that life is better elsewhere and ditch your family all over again," Wade spit out, picking his coffee cup up to take a drink. "You were jealous of me being apart of your son's life, that's just hilarious considering I'm in his life now in a much bigger role. If you're staying here because of your jealousy than you need to get over it, I like Zoe a lot and I'm not going to ruin something good with her because of you," Wade told him, dumping the last of his coffee in the sink, to sick too his stomach to drink anymore of it.

Wade wanted to believe his brother, but he couldn't. He had learned long ago that one of the few people he should be able to trust he wasn't able to believe a single word that came from his mouth. He did want his brother back but it was going to be a long road and it really depended on what Jesse did once he left to go back wherever Jesse called home as of late. Jesse was right he would have tried to find Abel and Zoe to make up for what Jesse had put them through. Things would have been different and honestly he didn't know how to feel about all the what ifs that swirled around his head. Reality kinda sucked in that way, but he was glad that Jesse hadn't told him about Abel or Zoe, because he couldn't imagine a life where he was only friends with Zoe.

"I'm done with that. I'm ready to be that person you should've had when mom died," Jesse stressed, breaking Wade from his thoughts.

"I need to see it because your words mean nothing to me," Wade told him. "I've got plans and I'm not going to cancel them on your account," Wade said pulling the door open waiting for Jesse to exit his house.

Jesse made the move to say something but decided against it, instead he walked out.

Wade stepped out of his house after taking a deep breath. He sent Zoe a smile seeing that she was on her back porch, no doubt waiting on him. She made no move to meet him on his walk over to her. She remained quiet as he sat down on the wooden swing next to her. They sat in silence the creaking of the swing sounding in their ears as they pushed the swing with their feet to gently rock them.

"You okay?" Zoe asked playing with her hands that she had folded in her lap.

"Just things with Jesse," he sighed, getting it out there in the open.

"Uh yes, I was curious on what was going on over there. I watched Jesse go into your house and there was no fire or no exploding of your house, though he did have a glum expression on his face, so I take it things didn't go in his favor," words falling from her lips as she rambled on.

With a smirk on his face, he put his hand on top of hers getting her to quiet down. "You stalking me now?" He asked, earning a gasp from the petite doctor next to him. "I'm so flattered that I won't press charges against you, Dr. Hart," he winked. Zoe's face flushed a light pink color. "And no they didn't, he expects me to forgive him at a pin drop, I can't do that and I can't make him understand that I need time," Wade sighed turning serious.

"No one is expecting you to do that, Wade," Zoe started off softly, taking his hand in both of hers. "He did you wrong. He didn't know how to handle the situation so he ran, which he's good at," Zoe spewed out bitterness on her tongue. "But," she continued in a soft voice. "He's only human and we all make mistakes, some bigger than others. You need time as you should to get over what he had done to you, take all the time you need, but not too much as you regret it later on in life when he's no longer there," she told him.

"Ya know, I've wondered what I'd say to him when he came back and asked for my forgiveness," he told her. "I've had a lot of fist fights when he's showed up randomly in my life. We've never talked about things, just skipped past it because I knew when I woke up that he'd be gone again and there was no since in working things out that he was going to mess up so for a few hours it was easy to forget and just be brothers," Wade confessed.

"It is understandable that you want that kind of relationship with him, but this time one built on something that is real. And you can have that when you're ready for it, Wade. No on is expecting you to be the best of brothers with Jesse over night," Zoe told him softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

"How are you able to just forgive him?" Wade asked pulling there hands to his lips placing a soft kiss to the back of her hand before placing their hands in his lap.

"I wasn't for the longest time. Having Abel showed me that life is short and that I may not like how Jesse is, I can't hate him for giving me the best gift in the world. Without Abel I would really want to kill your brother, but Abel needs his father even if he's not around as often as he should be. It shows Abel that he can't be a father like that because he'll know how it feels. And it's not worth it to spend time hating him, it's easier to let it all go and try building a strong foundation for Abel. I don't like what it is he does or how it upsets Abel once he leaves, I can't keep him from seeing Abel, not until Abel says he wants nothing to do with Jesse and I'll still fight Abel about that. I've tried changing him but it's no use. You just need to find a place where you're okay with his actions, Wade and not let it bug as much as it does."

"Because of your Dad?" Wade asked. Zoe nodded. "I'm trying, Zoe. But you know it's not easy," he stated. He was going to try not for anyone but himself. But the second Jesse cut him of out his life again; he would be done with Jesse for good.

"It shouldn't be easy, Wade. He's hurt you since you were little, it's going to take time and that's okay, I promise you," she told him looking up at him with a smile. He captured her lips with his own ending their conversation.

"Come on, I have a whole day planned and we've already waste more time than I would have liked to," he smirked, getting up and pulling Zoe up with him.

"I can't wait to see what it is," she told him, knowing that he wasn't going to let her in on anything that he had planned and she was okay with that. She liked the little surprises that Wade had for her.


	14. Chapter 14

**You guys want some tension between Wade/Abel/Jesse and I promise you it's coming, this chapter is slowly building to that. I really wanted to show more of the relationship with Earl and Abel hence this chapter. Enjoy!**

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Does your Ma know you're here?" Earl asked watching his grandson walk into his room dropping his school bag by the door. Under different circumstances he would have been surprised to see Abel enter his room, but he had build a close bond with his grandson, the same bond he had ruined with his sons when he picked the bottle over them time and time again, he wasn't going to let that happen. Life was better sober.

"I sent her a text telling her I'd be here," Abel responded with a shrug of his shoulders. His mom was okay with it; she encouraged him to build a relationship with his grandpa. "They'll actually be here later, mom and Wade," he informed his grandfather. With his mom dating Wade it was weird to have uncle in front of his name. Earl nodded his head.

"What about those dogs you need to walk after school?" Earl asked. He didn't want his grandson to ignore his responsibilities to come see him.

"It's been taken care of," Abel replied taking a seat. He squirmed under the older man's gaze. "It was a half day at school so I went home first and did it. I have school work hence my bag. I just didn't want to be home since no one's there and I figured I'd use the time to spend it with the only Grandpa I know. Is that okay with you?" Abel asked the Kinsella blood in him shinning through with his little sarcastic attitude that wanted to come out.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, but you're gonna finish that school work before we talk about anything else and I'm afraid I won't be much help to ya either."

Abel shrugged, "I've got it under control," he told him.

Earl was upset with what Jesse had done cutting them out of his life. Jesse was his son so he would let it go because family comes before anything else. Learning that you have a grandchild it makes you soar and forget about the past they had because it didn't matter. Earl loved spending time with Abel. He promised Abel that they would go camping, fishing and hunt the second he was back home away from the housing he was in now because of Wade's paranoia. And he would be more than happy to teach Abel to do anyone of those things if Jesse who he doubted would or Wade taught him which was more likely out of the two of his sons.

"Do you think that you'll be able to come to the opening of the play?" Abel asked looking up from his history work.

"Your Ma is gonna be there, right?" Abel nodded. "Then I don't see why I can't go," Earl informed him.

"Cool, I want Dad to come but he hardly shows up to things," Abel shared going back to his work.

Earl had ever intention of putting his two cents in but he thought better not wanting to interrupt him. Seeing his grandkid looking broken over his father's actions it hit close to home for him. He owed his own sons huge apologies. If he wouldn't have picked the bottle up Jesse wouldn't have left, he would've been a better father showing up at sporting events, graduations and everything in between sober and not wasted. Birthdays would've been remembered. He would've been taking care of his boys instead of Wade taking care of him.

Abel sailed through his homework. He put the work in his bag and explained how school was going. Abel was starting to enjoy school. He did however have one little problem he had to write a paper on the best male influence in his life. He had talked to his teacher to see if he could change it to his mom because there was no way he could write a paper about his father. The teacher told him that if he couldn't find anyone that he could change it but first he had to try to find a good male influence that was present in his life. Wade's name had popped up in his mind, but he wasn't sure Wade would be okay with that, he was going to ask him, it never hurt to ask.

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Any day they were able to spend the day together laughing was a good day and today wasn't any different. They put the stress that Jesse brought into there lives out of their system as they spent the day joking and laughing. After lunch they walked to a little park since it was empty with kids in school. Zoe sat on a swing as Wade pushed her higher and higher.

"You really don't mind do you?" Wade asked, occupying the swing next to Zoe.

"Why would I mind?" She questioned, slowing her swing down. "Abel is over there and I love your Father, Wade."

"You're like his favorite person. He's always talking about his pretty lady Doctor," Wade chuckled.

"That's sweet yet creepy, but we both know that he has been trying to set us up together since day one," Zoe chuckled, turning her swing so she was facing him. Wade laughed at that. His father was persistent about that. Earl had helped him see sense when he came to him complaining about Jesse and hinting at being jealous that his brother had Zoe first. "He was right about one thing," Zoe smiled.

"Just one thing?" Wade questioned with a smirk, pulling Zoe's swing closer by the chains. Zoe nodded her head. "Do share," he stated. Instead of sharing, she moved closer, pulling him in for a kiss. "I know he didn't say anything about my kissing ability," he smirked breaking the kiss, their foreheads pressed together. Zoe laughed shaking her head.

"I would hope not," she replied through her laughter. "He said that you've been hurt in the past and you need that one person to show you that not everything is like any of that and that under this hard surface you have because of those that have hurt you that you're a really good guy even if you want people to believe otherwise," she told him her tone taking a more serious tone. "He didn't tell me anything about what happened and you don't even have to share it with me if you don't want to, it's your past. I would like to know, but I don't need to know," she told him, seeing the pain on his face.

"I want to tell you about it all, but right now isn't the right time for that. But I promise I'll tell you when the time is right. When I'm okay with telling you, I don't want to keep things from you not after everything you went through with Jesse. I won't hurt you like he had, because I'm not him," Wade told her. Zoe nodded her head.

"You're better than him, Wade, I was never judging you based on who your brother was or the fact he did the wrong things. You're not him and he's not you, we are our own entire person," Zoe replied. "When you're ready to tell me, I'll be there to listen," she informed him.

"You're the best," he whispered against her lips. Zoe smiled closing the small gap between them, relishing in the feeling of his lips moving with her own.

Later that night they had stopped to get some dinner before heading over to see Earl. Stepping into his room, they smiled watching the scene before them. Earl and Abel were sitting at the table playing poker using candy as their chips. By the looks of things Abel was crushing his grandfather.

"Who taught you how to play?" Earl asked with a faint chuckle, folding his hand.

"My Grandma when I was like 5," Abel replied with a chuckle of his own taking the pile of candy in the middle he had just won.

"She did not!" Zoe protested.

"Yeah," Able countered. "It was one of those nights that you had to work a double shift," Abel added on.

Feeling his girlfriend tense up slightly next to him, he rubbed her back. She had expressed early on that she had hated working so much early on, but she was doing what was necessary and Abel loved her for everything that she had done for him. She always made time for her son. There were plenty of times that Abel would come visit her at the hospital on her breaks, they made it work.

"We brought food," Wade announced, quickly changing the topic. "How was everyone's day?" He asked, getting the food on the table and the poker game put away.

Abel jumped at the chance to tell all about his day, never leaving a single detail out. He was wrapping his day up when he decided that if he couldn't write a paper about his dad that Wade would be more than okay because Wade owned his own bar, Lavon Hayes had crossed his mind at one point but that was quickly ruled out realizing that he wasn't as close to Lavon as he was with Wade. With Earl and Zoe in the middle of their own conversation all of a sudden left plenty of time for Abel to build up the guts to ask Wade.

"Hey, Wade," Abel said, earning an hmm from the man in question. "I have to write this paper for English class and I was wondering since I really can't write about how much of an influence my own Dad is in my life because that would just be a lie of a paper, if I could write one about you?" He finished asking taking a deep breath.

"Of course you can Abel," Wade replied back with a smile on his face.


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm happy you guys are still enjoying this story, it makes me happy :)**

 **A side note, for anyone that reads all the stories I have going right now, I won't be updating tomorrow as it's Thanksgiving and I'll be spending most of my day with family, but I'll be back Friday to update Past Fear, Future Love** **. For those of you that will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow or this weekend, Happy Thanksgiving. And in honor of saying the things we're thankful for, I want you all to know that I'm thankful for everyone that reads and to those that leave reviews, to know that you guys like what I'm writing, even if at times I don't like it so thank you from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy this chapter everyone.**

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Wade was over at Zoe's place for dinner. A dinner he was making for his girlfriend. It had made more sense to make it at her house with Abel around. Zoe was working late and Abel was in his room working on his paper. He hadn't heard from Jesse in a few days. To an extent he hadn't minded that but there was a little piece of him that wished his brother could grow up and face everything he had ran from.

"I could get use to this," Zoe smiled walking into her kitchen to see Wade chopping vegetable on the counter top. Walking up behind him she slipped her arms around him giving Wade a hug from behind, placing a kiss on his right shoulder blade.

"So could I," he replied back. "How was work?" Wade questioned turning around.

"Grueling," she responded leaving it at that, she really didn't want to relive her day at work. "Where's Abel?" She asked, resting her head against his chest, his fingers running along her spine.

"Right here," Abel announced entering the kitchen. "I've finished my homework can I go now?"

"Yes, but remember we have plans tomorrow morning so I'll need you home by 10," she informed him.

"I'll be here. Wade can you read this over and let me know if anything needs fixing?" He asked placing the paper on the kitchen counter.

"Will do buddy," Wade let him know. Abel nodded, grabbed his bag he left by the stairs and headed to his friends house that was across the street a few houses down.

"Since you have this covered I'm gonna take a shower," Zoe informed him, leaning up to capture his lips for a kiss.

Not wanting to get lost in the kiss burning the food he had cooking he broke the kiss. "Okay," he told her, turning back to finish dinner. Zoe smiled and headed upstairs.

After finishing up with her shower Zoe wrapped a towel around herself and headed into her room to find something to wear. Tossing shorts and a shirt on her bed, she sat down grabbing her lotion she proceeded to apply it to her skin.

Wade was putting the last of what he had made on the table, moving Abel's paper to the kitchen counter. He'd remember to take it with him when he left. He looked out the window to check on Hobs, seeing him lying in the grass stretched out in the dying sunlight he turned and headed upstairs to let Zoe know dinner was ready.

"Hey Zo," he called out softly knocking on her bedroom door, pushing it open. Zoe stepped out of her bathroom looking at him she finished wrapping the hair tie around her hair forming a ponytail. "Dinner's ready," he told her swallowing the dry lump that formed in his throat seeing his girlfriend showing off more skin than he's seen from her standing in her bedroom. She smiled watching his eyes travel down her body and back up before glancing at the bed.

"Dinner can wait," she told him seductively, walking up to him. He was quick to pull her body flush against his. She bit her bottom lip feeling the way his mouth left a trail along her skin. His hands traveled down her body leaving a trail of fire behind in their wake. She wrapped her legs around his waist when he picked her up. He moved his kisses back up her neck, along her jaw line, his lips connecting with hers. They tumbled onto the bed, Zoe sitting on top of Wade, as she kissed every part of him she could reach.

Jesse pulled up to his brother's house only to see his place was dark. Walking up the path to the back door he spotted his brothers dreadful dog in Zoe's backyard. Figuring that was where his brother was he hopped the little fence. He went to knock when he heard a ruckus behind him. Turning to look he saw Abel digging in the little shed that sat nearby.

"Looking for something?" Jesse asked curiously walking over to his son.

"Dad," Abel said shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to your Mom about something," he replied. "Maybe I can help you find whatever it is you're looking for," Jesse tried.

"It's nothing," Abel told him, shutting and locking the door. "The door is unlocked, go on in," Abel told him, walking to where his bike laid on the ground.

Jesse shook his head as he watched his son speed off down the street joining up with a group of his friends. As weird as it was to just walk into the house that belonged to his ex-wife, the door was open a crack. He'd make sure to have a word with her about that. He may not have been the best father for the past 14 years but he was around now and he had never wanted anything bad to happen to Abel or her and there was no way that he was going to let some random dangerous stranger have a chance at coming into his family's house and kill both of them because they left the door open a crack.

Walking into the kitchen he had to wonder if something like that hadn't already happened, seeing the food untouched on the table. Stopping at the counter he looked down to see the paper sitting there. The first thing that caught his eye was Abel's name.

 _Over the years, I've never had a male influence that I could fully look up too. My dad was in and out of life since I was a baby and I hate him for doing that to me, for causing so many different emotions to build within me, I resent him for that. Because he wasn't around like a dad should be, I acted out because I thought it was the right thing to do, but after moving to Mobile, I learned that it wasn't the right thing to do. Even then the best male influence I had was Mr. Fredrickson across the street and I always tried to stay away from him. It wasn't until Wade moved next door that I finally got that one great male influence in my life. We just had this connection, at the time I wasn't really sure why that was but I do now and he is always encouraging me. Letting me know that even though I had acted out that I could still be someone if I set my mind to it, that it's okay to show just how much I love my mom. He's been great to have in my life, the person I needed at the right time._

Skimming through the rest of the paper, Jesse dropped it back on the counter, seeing just how many more times his son had high praise for Wade. He knew he had messed up the second he had walked out of the hospital the night he was born. Maybe if he had stayed, things would be different between all three of them, just maybe he could add Wade and his father to that list as well. Could he fix years of the abandonment he caused his son to feel? It was going to be harder than he had first thought but he wanted his son to look up to him like he looked up to Wade.

Getting lost in his thoughts had been a waste of time for him. It was the laughter that broke through his thoughts. He looked up in time to watch his little brother pulling his shirt over his head as he entered the kitchen, Zoe right behind him, running her fingers through her hair. With one glance at the two of them, he knew exactly what it was they were doing and he felt jealousy rip through him, it should have been him up there making love to her and not his brother. But with one look he could see the pure happiness on her face, something he was never able to really put there when he had her, so maybe if he had done things differently, things would still be the same.

"What are you doing here Jesse?" Zoe asked finally seeing him.

"I had something to talk to you about, but it can wait," he told her harshly. "Do you really think that you can just walk into their lives and be a father, Wade?" He asked, picking the paper up. "That you can take _my_ place in _my son's_ life? Because this paper says you already have," he seethed.

"I never had any intentions of replacing you. I wasn't the one to make you act like a jackass, Jesse. Those things in that paper that Abel says about me are because I've been there for him these last few weeks, while you being you haven't been around. You only have yourself to blame for that," Wade told him, remaining calm.

"That's going to change," Jesse huffed, storming outside.

Zoe sighed uncertain on what she could say to him. Luckily for her, he bounced back and they let what happened with Jesse go. Wade heated up the food and together they ate in silence sharing flirty looks and playing footsy under the table. With dinner finished Wade brought Hobs into the house and locked the door. Zoe pulled dessert from the fridge and led Wade up to her room, where they would forget everything outside the door they were behind and focus on each other late into the early hours of the morning.


	16. Chapter 16

**To the guest reviewer that wanted to see more of Abel, here ya go. I still have another chapter of Abel figured out for the next chapter too. Enjoy!**

 **Also I don't condone underage drinking or doing illegal drugs.**

* * *

"Dude, like where's the stash?" Brendan asked wide eyed, seeing Abel enter his room empty handed.

"I couldn't find it and my dad showed up," Abel sighed, plopping down on the bed.

"You don't think your Mom found it do you?" Chuck asked, playing with a lighter.

Abel didn't know how to answer that question. He rarely saw his mom out in the shed, but she had been in there just the other day and if she had found the little stash of weed that he had hidden she would've grounded him and she would've forbidden him to come out and spend the night at Brendan's house. It wasn't like he smoked the stuff all the time; it was only a few times a month when he was with his friends. And really he smoked the stuff more while he lived in New York; it wasn't that big of a deal, really.

"She hasn't busted me for it, so I don't think she has," he replied with a little uncertainty in his voice. "Can't we like I dunno call Travis or something?" He questioned. Tonight was suppose to be about fun and forgetting about everything else going on. He liked Wade and the relationship he had with his mom and he was okay with it just got to be awkward when his dad was around. And he liked having his father around more but it was weird to have his dad right there looking out for him after the years he spent staying away.

"Didn't ya hear?" Chuck asked, tossing Abel a controller. Abel shook his head, moving to the end of the bed getting ready to play some Call of Duty. "Dude got busted by his Dad and they sent him to Military school, before he got himself sent to Juvie again."

"That's rough," Abel commented. He couldn't help but think back to the time that his mom had threatened to send him away to some Military school; he had laughed at his mom's threat and raced out the door. A week later he was packing his things up anyway.

An hour later saw Brendan's basement filled with teens. Abel didn't even question it, took the can of beer that was offered to him and joined in on the poker game that was going on. He was sure the music could be heard a mile away but he didn't care because he was having fun with his friends. He laughed when Lucy tumbled right into his lap. He could smell the traces of booze on her breath but more than that he was able to taste the alcohol she had consumed when their tongues started their own little party. All thoughts of Rose escaped his mind, it wasn't like Rose was his girlfriend to begin with, and she was just a girl that happened to be a friend whom he wanted more with. It was Lucy's teeth sinking into his bottom lip and tugging gently that brought him out of his thoughts and focusing on the drunken girl on his lap making out with him.

He woke up in the morning with a groan rushing to the bathroom. After flushing what he swore was his guts down the toilet he raided the medicine cabinet for something he could take to dull the pounding in his head. After swallowing two Aleve he gathered his stuff up. He didn't want to be out doing his job with his head killing him but he couldn't let his mom know that he had done anything wrong last night. It wasn't like he was going back to the way he was before, he was past that stage in his life, he wanted to show his mom and especially his dad that he could be whatever it was he wanted to be, if only he could figure that something out.

By the time he had finished walking the dogs the fresh air helped with his hangover and he was feeling better, but the second he walked into his house to see Wade and his Mom at the kitchen table with waffles and bacon made him feel sick. "I'm gonna take a shower," he told them both, staying clear of his mother afraid she could smell the stale taste of alcohol that lingered in his mouth. Walking through the living room he could faintly hear them question if he was okay. He didn't wait to hear what else they were going to say about him and rushed upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. He had one of the final run through for Beauty and the Beast in Bluebell today.

"Wade not coming?" He asked getting into the car. He was hoping that Wade would be there to keep his mom from asking questions all the way to Bluebell, he wasn't a fan of lying to his mom, he was afraid that with the questions she was bound to ask he would either have to lie or bend the truth just a little, doing that sounded better than calling it a lie.

"No, he's got a few things to do in Mobile and he was going to spend some time with Grandpa Earl," Zoe told him, starting the car. "Have fun last night?"

Abel groaned to himself, they hadn't even made it off their street yet. "It was okay. Played video games and listened to music," he told her. It was part truth, he was keeping the fact that most of their classmates had shown up to himself. He wasn't doing this for himself, no this was to keep his mom sane, it was for her, and he couldn't ruin the happiness she had currently found. That would just make him a bad son so really keeping the part about the party to himself was really for the best for his mom, he was doing the right thing. "Did Wade uh read my paper?" He asked moving the current topic along not wanting his mom to ask a question he couldn't think of a lie for.

"Not yet," Zoe informed him. "I think your Dad happened to see it last night."

"What?" He asked panicked, his father wasn't supposed to see that paper. There were things wrote in there that would ruin what little relationship he did have with his dad. "How could you let that happen?" He asked with a heavy sigh.

"I didn't let him, Abel. I was upstairs when he came into the house. I'm not certain he did but he the way he was holding it, it sure seemed like he had at least read some of it."

"This is bad," Abel muttered, shaking his head.

"Why's that?" Zoe asked her son with a sideways glance.

"Uh it's a paper about the influence Wade has had on me since moving next door and in the process of that I kind of painted a pretty vivid picture of how shitty of a father, Dad has been," he explained making his mom see why this whole thing was bad.

"You have no reason to be panicked about this; you told the truth when it came to the man your Father is. If he doesn't like it than he needs to man up and change the kind of father he is," Zoe told him.

"I guess," he sighed. "Things are bad enough as it is with Dad, I just don't wanna make things worse with him," he added in a few silent moments later.

"Abel," Zoe started to say pulling up to a stop sign. "Your Dad may not know the best way to show you love and affection but he does love you and I don't want you to ever think differently about that, okay?" She asked him. She caught his shrug. "Maybe this gave him that final push to step up and be the father that you need. If you want I can talk to him about this," she suggested.

He knew at this point that whatever his answer was she would still go right ahead and talk to him. "I can't make you do anything. You'll talk to Dad either way but I'm not really against it. I just wonder if you're ever going to let me grow up and actually let me handle things in my life without actually running interference." He wasn't that little kid his mom thought he still was.

"Okay, you can talk to him about this Abel. I'll be there for your support but I will stay out of it. Does that sound okay with you?" She questioned, parking the car.

"It really does," he replied, getting out of the car. Once standing on the ground he closed his eyes, willing the slight pounding in his head to vanish the rest of the way. It was hard enough not to wince every time his mom spoke in the car on the ride over. Dealing with people demanding orders and a very exuberant Dash wasn't going to be a cakewalk. Maybe this was his punishment for drinking underage at a party lying to his mom about it.

"You okay?" He smiled hearing her concerned voice.

"I'm okay, just a small headache," he told her easily, opening his eyes. "You ready for this Belle?" He asked holding his arm out for her.

"A real gentlemen before becoming the beast, I see," Rose joked looping her arm through his.

An hour into rehearsal and the pounding in his head had increased ten fold. "I hear greasy food is heaven for a hangover." He jumped hearing the amusement in Rose's voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he told her playing it off. If Rose was able to figure it out then his mom who just so happened to be a doctor would know as well.

"Whatever you say, Abel. I may have been born at night but I wasn't born last night," she told him, pulling him outside with her. "We are the same age so I know what hiding a hangover looks like, not that I've done it," she told him.

"That's what I like about you, Rose," he smiled, glancing down to see that his hand was firmly locked with hers. "You're this innocent girl that has this badass side, along with the really amazing nerd side," he complimented her.

"You're sweet, Abel," she had managed to say, cringing at her own lame words. She was so flustered and flattered at what he said that her mind turned to utter mush.

The rest of the short walk was done so in silence. Rose was afraid she'd make a fool of herself if she dare say a single word. And Abel was trying to find a way to ask Rose out. The brief make out session while tipsy came to mind, but it hadn't meant anything, he didn't even know Lucy. He really liked Rose and it wasn't a crime to make out with Lucy he wasn't dating Rose, so as a single guy it was totally cool.

"Do I have somethin' on my face?" Rose asked halfway through her burger. Abel shook his head. "Then what?"

"Go out with me," he blurted out.

"We are out, Sherlock," Rose replied feeling the blood rush to her face.

"I know that," he said exasperated. "On a date in Mobile," he clarified.

"I'd like that, but when?" She asked. Getting a ride to Mobile would be fairly easy.

"Uh next weekend?" Rose nodded her head. She could make that work.

They finished their lunch in a happy little blissful bubble. Hand holding was included on the walk back to the little theater to finish the run through and oddly enough Abel felt no pounding in his head rather it was peaceful.


	17. Chapter 17

"Abel can I have word?" Wade asked entering the kitchen hearing Abel enter from walking Hobs.

"Sure, what's goin' on?" Abel asked taking a seat at the table. For Wade to talk to him about anything as serious as this seemed to be was unusual. "Is this about the paper?" Abel asked then, that was the only thing that he could think this could be about.

Wade wasn't really sure that he should be taking charge and punishing Abel for what he had found in Zoe's shed the other day, but it didn't feel right to rat him out to Zoe or Jesse for that matter either, punishing might be the wrong word for what he had in mind. He was Abel's uncle so he had the right to confront Abel about the weed he had found. Having a chat with Abel wouldn't hurt anyone. Wade pulled the little baggie out of his pocket. Wade could see the questions right behind all the panic in Abel's eyes.

"No this isn't about the paper," Wade told him, tossing the baggie in the middle of the table. "I haven't told your mom that I had found it, I'm on the fence about that one Abel, I want to be honest with her but…I thought you were cleaning up your act?" Wade asked him then changing the direction of voicing his concerns. He remembered when Zoe had told him everything Abel had done while they lived in New York. The last thing he wanted to do was to add more onto things that kept coming up for Zoe.

"I swear to you Wade, I had been clean, I didn't know they smoked until it was too late, you know how it is, I wanted to turn that first hit down but I was scared they'd think I was lame for doing so," he explained the best he could. "This would devastate mom, if you do tell her, Wade. I can't be the one to add more stress to her not when she was so much crap in her life right now," Abel pleaded with him.

"I don't like keeping secrets from your mom, I can't build a relationship with her based on lies and secrets, you understand that, don't you?" Wade asked him.

"I get that I do, but you need to think about mom here. It really is for the best if she doesn't know about this."

"If you can promise me that you'll stop and be honest with me when I ask you about it, I won't tell your mom. But if you mess up and lie to me about it I will tell her, deal?" Wade questioned him.

"Deal," Abel agreed. He didn't think it would be that hard to give up any ways. Besides whom needed friends that were going to get you into trouble? He had other friends, better friends at that. "I need advice," Abel sighed. Wade leaned back in his chair waiting for him to elaborate. "I've got a date with Rose tonight."

"Is this your first date?" Wade asked with an amused smile.

"No," Abel told him quickly, with a sigh his answer changed. "To extant, I guess. When I was in New York we always did things as a group, but this is different because I really like Rose and I don't want to screw that up."

"Then be yourself, she wouldn't have agreed to go out with you if she didn't like you for you."

"I guess," Abel sighed. "I don't want to fuck it up."

"Language Abel," came Zoe's voice from behind them. Abel jumped from his seat getting Wade to hold his laughter in; he quickly grabbed the baggie from the table and stuffed it in his pants pocket, before Zoe noticed it. "I was wondering where you went too, Rose called for you and your dad wants to talk to us," she informed her son.

"Right, sorry," he mumbled walking to the door. "Wade, thanks for ya know," Abel said glancing at Wade before slipping through the back door.

"Anything I should be concerned about?" Zoe asked.

Wade shook his head, walking over to his girlfriend and pulling her into a hug. "Just a little guy talk is all," Wade told her kissing her temple. "Let me know when Jesse leaves?"

"Of course," Zoe smiled, pulling back far enough to kiss him.

"I really thought I would have to go over there and pull the two of you apart," Jesse joked.

"What is it you need Jesse?" Zoe asked none too amused with her ex-husband. She took a seat next to Abel on the couch.

"I know that I haven't been the best father to have, but I want to change that and I can if you guys let me," Jesse explained, going to sit down only to get back up and pace a little. "I'm ashamed of the person that I've become. Traveling around when it was just me was one thing but it's not the life to live now that I have a child that needs me to be around."

"Where was this man years ago when I needed him? When Abel needed you?" Zoe asked. "It's pretty easy to walk back into his life when he's already grown and needs the love of his parents to help stir him in the right direction," she ranted.

"I'm sorry for that, I was scared that I wouldn't be a good father so I did what I had thought was best for all of us, turns out that I was wrong about that and many other things. But it's not too late for me to try to change that and be the father that Abel needs now, if you both let me," Jesse explained a plea in his voice.

"I think it would be cool," Abel said. That was one of the biggest wishes he's had since he was just a little boy, that and his parents getting back together, but that wasn't going to happen and he was fine with it. But now he was given the chance to have his dad in his life.

"Do you have a place? Do you have a job? Because these two things are a major part in you being in Abel's life on a daily bases and being the father you think you want to be," Zoe told him. She had lost her faith in Jesse years ago. She didn't want to go along with this scheme that he was building up, no mother wanted to see their child get hurt. Abel was old enough to decide what it was he wanted to do, but this was going to be the last straw for Jesse.

"I have a place, I have a job. I have it all under control, have a little faith in me, Zoe," Jesse told her.

"What faith?" She asked. "So you know Jesse, you decide at any point that this isn't the life for you and you leave, you can stay gone. I'm done letting you cause pain to myself but I'm also done with you playing with Abel's mind and making him think that you're going to be around only to be gone seconds later. We clear?" Zoe asked him.

"Loud and clear and I promise you that it won't be like that, not this time," he told her. Zoe shook her head.

"I've heard that one too many times for it to mean anything," she told him, walking upstairs.

"She'll come around," Abel commented. "I think it's cool that you've decided to stay around. But I'm with mom on this one. I'm done too if you don't stick around. I can only take so much of my father walking out on me before I've had enough," Abel told him getting up.

"I know and you'll never know how sorry I am about any of it," Jesse told him. Abel shrugged his shoulders. "I do have you to thank for that. If it wouldn't have been for that paper you wrote on Wade, I wouldn't know how you really see me. You put so much into perspective for me."

"About that," Abel was saying when Jesse held his hand up to stop his son from saying anything more.

"It was the truth and sometimes the truth hurts. I was so mad when I read what I had, but I was mad at myself, Abel. It's not your fault or your mom's fault for my actions. I'm going to show you and your mom that I can be the man you both deserve."

"You're not going to try and break mom and Wade up are ya?" Abel asked. "I don't think that's such a good idea, dad."

"No, he's better for your mom than I ever was or I could ever be for your mom and I'm okay with that. My concern is to be there for you. I don't want to let you down again." Abel nodded moving to walk upstairs to start getting ready for his date with Rose. "Abel I want you to come see my place, I would really like for you to spend a few nights out of the week there."

"I don't know if I feel comfortable for that right now," Abel told him. "I'll stop by another day, I have plans right now," Abel told him rushing up the stairs. Spending nights with his dad wasn't something he was ready for. He loved his dad and he was thrilled that he was finally going to step up, but he was finding it hard to trust him after all the wrong Jesse had done in his life.


	18. Chapter 18

The night started out alright for Abel and Rose. They walked around the mall, hand in hand laughing at the smallest of things. They stopped at the food courts for a bite to eat and things had been going well for them until a few of his friends showed up with Lucy. He had tired to hide but it hadn't worked out.

"You didn't tell us that you had a girlfriend, Abel," Brendan stated, joining the couple. "Oh you remember Lucy from the party don't you?" He asked then, pulling Lucy down on his lap with a smirk.

"Hey Lucy, guys, what are you doing here?" Abel asked, hoping to ignore the whole girlfriend thing. He didn't know what Rose was to him yet. This was only the first date and nothing about them being couple was official. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and have Rose mad at him for it.

"It is the mall, Abel," Chuck laughed. "Dude, you high?"

"No, I'm not high," Abel told them, rolling his eyes. "When did that happen?" Abel asked looking at Brendan and Lucy.

"Yesterday after you ditched us for those dogs of yours," Brendan told him. "There's a party over at Calum's house tonight. You in?"

The offer was tempting and he really wanted to go, but Wade's words came to mind and looking over at Rose he could see the disapproval on her face. He really liked Rose and seeing that look on her face hurt and he didn't want to betray Wade's trust in him. He knew that if he went to the party than he would easily be talked into doing drugs and drinking and he had made a promise and he was determined to keep that promise. "No," Abel told them.

"You're passing up a party? Dude what's wrong with you? This isn't one of our typical parties; it's going to be wild and crazy!" Chuck exclaimed, shocked that his friend had turned the party of the year down.

"I can't go and even if I could go, I still wouldn't go," he told them.

"Your loss dude," Brendan stated. "If you change your mind, you know where the party is."

"Interesting group of friends you have there," Rose commented after they had left. "If you want to go to that party you can go, I'm not your keeper," Rose told him. "I actually have to go," she told him getting up quickly.

"What? Why?" Abel asked going after her. "I thought we were having fun?"

"We were having fun until I learned that you do drugs and who is Lucy?" Rose asked stopping in the middle of the hall, people walking past them mumbling things at them.

"I used to do drugs," he told her being honest. "I'm not proud of that fact. I quit after I moved here, I told you what my life in New Yorkwas like. You knew what my past was like."

"Yeah that was your past but I had thought you put that behind you Abel," she stated crossing her arms over her chest.

"I had but I was sucked back in. It's not a big deal it was just some weed and some booze," he defended himself. "I'm done with all of that. It was all a mistake. I've realized that being high and drunk isn't what I want in life," he told her, running a hand through his hair.

"What about Lucy? They were hinting that something had taken place between the two of you."

"Remember the other day when I showed up to the final run through with a massive hangover?" He asked getting a small nod from Rose. "The party I was at the night before I was wasted and she fell on my lap and we made out. But I don't want her Rose; I want to be with you."

"Is that why you asked me out?" She asked, looking down at the floor. "Because you felt guilty?"

"No that's not why I asked you out. I asked you out because I really like you Rose. You're different from the other girls our age and I like that about you. You make the worst days seem like the best day ever," he told her sincerely, using his fingers to lift her chin up. "I want you not anyone else," he whispered, letting his lips brush against hers. He went to pull back feeling her tense up. Her lips were on his when he tired to pull away.

"I like you too and about the whole girlfriend thing," she was saying with pink tinted cheeks from the kiss she had shared with him.

"I want you to be girlfriend, Rose," he told her, lacing his fingers with hers. He smiled when she didn't pull away.

"I'd like that," she told him.

With having a day off Zoe was at home cleaning. With both of them only really home in the evenings she was surprised at just how dirty the place had gotten over the last few days. She was just putting the vacuum away from cleaning the upstairs hall when she heard the front door open and close.

"Mom, you home?" Abel shouted from the living room.

"Yes, I'm home," Zoe said joining her son in the living room. "How was your date with Rose?"

"It was good," Abel told his mom with a grin. "I have to tell you something and you're going to be mad at me and possibly Wade as well but please don't be too harsh on him," he pleaded with his mom.

"What's going on?" Zoe asked starting to worry.

"For the past few months I've been smoking weed like once or twice a month. I didn't think it was a big deal," he told her. "Wade found a small stash I had. He talked to me about it and I didn't want him to tell you. I didn't want to upset you or hurt you. But I'm done with it all."

"I appreciate you coming clean, Abel but you're still going to be punished for it," Zoe told him. She was conflicted on what to do with Wade but he was the least of her worries at the moment. "4 weeks, school, dogs and home. You're lucky that you're done with the play in Bluebell and that the show is in a few days otherwise I would pull you from that."

"Okay," he agreed. It was less than he had thought she was going to give him as a punishment. "Please don't be too harsh on Wade. He wanted to tell you, he really did."

"Let me worry about Wade and I want your phone and video games on my bed," she told him.

Abel nodded and went upstairs to his room to get started on taking the things from his room. He'd have to wait until his mom was either in bed for the night or when she left the house to sneak in a quick call to Rose to explain things to her. He didn't want her to think that he was ignoring her and that he had lied to her earlier in the day when he told her that he wanted to be with her.

With Abel taken care of Zoe went over to Wade's place. She gave him a faint smile seeing him sitting outside on the porch as Hobs ran around the yard chasing after a ball Wade was throwing for him. Wade got up to greet Zoe but she pulled away and turned her head so his lips connected with her cheek.

"What's going on?" He asked leading Zoe to the swing on his porch.

"I don't know how I should feel," she told him, her eyes following Hobs around the yard now that he gave up on a game of fetch. "You kept something from me when it comes to my son. I want to be happy that you had his back and talked to him because you are his uncle but at the same time I want to be so mad at you for keeping it from me."

"He told you, huh?" Wade asked, watching every little movement Zoe made. "I wanted to tell you but at the same time I didn't want to lose the trust that I have with him. You should know how hard it is to have a kid his age trust you."

"I do know, I just," she sighed, moving to look at him. "I don't like it. I should have been told. He wouldn't have known that you told me, I would've found a way to make him tell me on his own," Zoe told him.

"I'm sorry that I kept it from you, I promise it won't happen again," he told her.

Zoe leaned forward and kissed him. Breaking the small kiss she rested her forehead against his, while his thumb traced over her lips. "I forgive you this time but next time I won't be so understanding or forgive you so easily. I want to know things like this about my son," she told him.

"Deal," he promised, pulling her onto his lap, his lips covering hers.

Before they could break their little hot and heavy make out session Hobs was there licking their faces making both Wade and Zoe laugh. With a small peck to Wade's lips Zoe got up telling Wade that she really needed to get back home to make sure Abel wasn't doing anything he shouldn't be doing. Reluctantly he let her go.

Abel was in the process of telling Rose that he wouldn't be able to see her or talk to her for the next month as he kept an eye on his mom out the kitchen window. They were currently trying to find a way where they could sneak off while he was in Bluebell for the play but they weren't having much luck when they realized that the whole town could inform Zoe and Wade where they were at busting them without knowing they were doing it. Hearing his mom at the back door he quickly hung up and moved away from where he sat the phone on the counter.

"What are you doing?" Zoe asked eyeing her very flustered son entering the house.

"Getting cookies and milk," he said holding up a small plate of cookies and a glass of milk.

"Clean up when you're done," Zoe told him grabbing the phone. "I swear this was on the charger," she commented out loud, looking at her son to see that he was suddenly really interested in his cookies. "How was Rose?" Zoe asked with a smirk.

"H…h…h…What?" Abel stuttered, looking at his mom.

"Let's see, you look flustered, you said you're date was good, which really means it was great which means you and Rose are dating, am I correct?" Zoe asked.

"Yes," Abel sighed. "I wanted to let her know that I wasn't ignoring her," he told his mom.

"Its fine, Abel. I've been in the same place you are."

"Really?" He asked shocked. "I didn't think you ever got grounded.

"I spent six months being grounded," Zoe told him.

"What did you do?" Abel asked, pushing his plate of cookies towards his mom.

"I was dating this guy we'd been together for 3 months and he had to stay with his family in Vermont for the summer. I had just gotten my license like 8 months before that. With Grandma in bed for the night I took the car, I made it outside of the city limits of New York before getting into a car accident. Lucky no one was injured," she explained remembering just how mad her mom was at her that night.

"What did grandma do?" Abel asked laughing. He couldn't believe that his mom would do anything like that. She was such a stickler for rules.

"You will never amount to anything if you keep acting like such a hoodlum," Zoe said in her best impersonation of Candice. "It started out as a 4 month grounding but in the second month I snuck out to be with my friends and we snuck into a concert. She was awake and waiting by the front door when I came home at 5 in the morning. She added the extra 2 months on. We all mess up, Abel it's just how we bounce back from it that determines who we are in life," she told him.

"Was the concert worth it?" Abel asked placing the plate in the sink.

"It was," Zoe told him with a small on her face. "But that doesn't mean if you try any stunts like that while you're grounded that I'll go easy on you because I did the same thing," Zoe warned him.

"Got it," he chuckled, kissing her cheek. "Night mom, love you."

"Love you too Abel, night," she responded back. Shaking her head with memories of her own childhood flooding her mind she turned the lights off and checked to make sure the doors were locked before going to bed herself.


	19. Chapter 19

Abel was pacing around backstage his whole body filled with anxious nerves. Practice was a breeze if he messed up he could redo his lines, but now if he messed up he'd be a joke. There was no way he could do this; he could have his understudy step in for him that should work. He headed in the direction his understudy was in. Frederick Dean was an alright guy. Rose admitted to him once that she had a crush on him and that they both loved the Chew comics, Abel couldn't relate to that because he was lost on what Chew was, Rose had tried more than once to educate him on the comics but it bored him. So on second thought asking Frederick wasn't in his best interest; he didn't want to risk it.

"You alright? You're not going to barf are ya?" Rose questioned her boyfriend keeping a safe distance.

"I ain't sick if that's what you're worried about. Just my nerves," he confessed, leaning against a wall, his eyes drifting shut.

"Yeah a lot can happen out there, you can suck, forget all your lines, knock the set over, fall off stage and so on and so forth but that's the nerves talking. You know your lines inside and out, you are going to rock being the Beast. For every wrong thing that can happen out there there's a positive one, you've got this, I believe in you, your mom, Wade, Earl and even your dad believe in you, if they didn't they wouldn't be here in the front row, do you want to let them down?" Rose asked him, moving to hold his hands.

Did he want to let his family down? Heck no, he wanted to make them proud, to show his dad what he had been missing out on over the last 14 years of his life. "No," Abel told her firmly, locking his eyes with her. He would suck his nerves up and put on the best performance the whole town of Bluebell had ever seen. "You're the best baby," he told her softly and sincerely, his lips barely touching hers for a sweet little kiss.

"Hey now, save that for the play," Dash scolded them in a playful manner.

"I should, yeah," she said hurrying away her face red giving away her sudden embarrassment. Abel smirked at his girlfriend's sudden departure.

"You'll be great, Abel. You're a real natural out there on a stage," Dash praised him, giving him a little more confidence to go out there and prove himself. "A bit of warning don't hurt that sweet girl or you'll have a whole town after you young man," Dash warned. "Break a leg out there, Abel," Dash told him walking off.

He took a deep breath, Dash's words echoing in his mind, easing his nerves in a new direction. The play seemed easy when he thought about the townsfolk chasing after him with pitchforks and other items that could cause bodily harm. With a shudder he was able to push it all to the back of his mind as he heard Dash welcoming the audience and that they were in for a treat.

Zoe sat between Wade and Earl, leaving Jesse no choice but to sit next to his father, not that he minded sitting next to Earl. He had wanted to talk to Zoe about a few things and now it was going to be pushed back until later in the night. On the drive to Bluebell it was only him and Abel as Abel needed to be in Bluebell early and Jesse didn't mind driving him giving himself some extra time with his son.

Wade and Zoe were talking quietly amongst themselves waiting for the play to start; making plans to get a bite to eat after the play was over with.

Soon enough Dash was out on stage hushing everyone in attendance, the lights dimming for the play to start. Zoe couldn't keep the smile off her face. Watching her son up there in what seemed to be his element was amazing, Abel looked so at peace and so alive that she couldn't have been more proud of him if she tried to be. She had no clue that he could even sing! She was on her feet clapping loudly as the play finished and the cast was bowing on stage.

Abel let his mom hug him tight and praise him on job well done. Not only was he proud of himself for doing such an excellent job on stage but seeing his mom so proud of him made him swell with pride. He could see the pride on his dad's, grandpa's and Wade's faces for him.

"I was actually going to hang out with Rose if that's okay?" He asked, hoping his mom would bend the rules on his punishment this once for him.

"This once," she told him. "I expect you to be home by 10 tonight," she informed him.

"Actually," Abel started to say suddenly becoming nervous on his next request. "I was thinking that I could go to Dad's house for the weekend and come home Monday after school. I have the dogs taken care of; Saturday's and Sunday's are the easy days, please?" He begged slightly.

With Jesse trying so hard to be the father he should have been years ago, she couldn't ruin that for either one of them. "Okay, but your punishment still stands even at his house, Abel and I mean it, if I find out that you went out with your friends or did anything you're not allowed to do, I will tack more time onto your grounding, are we clear?"

"Yes, mom," Abel told her acting as serious as could be. "Thank you, love you," he quickly told her with a hug before taking off.

"So this punishment?" Jesse asked looking over at Zoe. He was more than happy to hear that his son wanted to spend the rest of his weekend with him; it was something they had discussed on the ride to Bluebell. He was going to make sure that whatever it was, Abel wouldn't be doing it because he didn't want to mess any of it up. Zoe called the shots and he wasn't going to do anything that would make her keep Abel away from him.

Zoe took a deep breath and filled Jesse in on what had taken place with Abel, on why he couldn't hang out with his friends, play video games or talk to his friends and girlfriend on the phone even if she had let him off with talking to Rose that once. Jesse glanced at his brother some anger coming out that he didn't have the decency to tell him what was going on with his son. He got that he wasn't around the way a father or a brother should be but he was trying to make amends. How could he try to make things right if they weren't going to try?

"He'll be fine and I won't let him do any of it. If I have any questions or concerns, I'll call you. But I've got this. Please just have a little faith in my ability of being a father," Jesse told her. He was sick of those closest to him second guessing his ability to be the person he was trying to be.

"It's not you that I worry about; it's Abel because I know how much of a handful he can be when he wants to act out because he thinks he's not being treated right. Just be careful," she told him. She wanted to add that she thought he was up to something because Abel deciding out of the blue that he wanted to spend time with Jesse raised red flags in her mind but she didn't want to hurt or even piss Jesse off in such a way, maybe Abel was trying to let his father back into his life, he was taking a bigger risk than Zoe was when it came to Jesse.

"I will," Jesse confirmed. "I've got this and at any second if I feel like I'm in a losing battle, I will call you, okay?" Zoe nodded, leaning into Wade's embrace now that he had put an arm around her seeing how much this was stressing her out. "Spend the next few days relaxing Zo, you need a little time to yourself after everything you've been through with him," Jesse told her, keeping out the unspoken part of it being his fault to begin with.

"Jesse's right, we'll go to Fairhope on a weekend trip so that way we're not to far away if anything happens," Wade suggested. Zoe looked up at Wade smiling, that sounded lovely and she was off until Tuesday. She could let herself relax with her boyfriend for a few days where she wasn't worrying about Abel. She was leaving him in the very capable hands of his father. How much could really happen?

"Go have fun," Earl commented. "You work too much and your life revolves around Abel, I'm not saying it shouldn't but you need to let go," Earl told her.

"I think you should go too, Mom. You spend so much time taking care of me; you need to do this for yourself. I'll be fine and on my best behavior, I swear," Abel said walking back up to his family.

"Even Abel agrees to it," Wade smirked. "You have no reason not to go."

"Okay, my arm is twisted in going," Zoe laughed, shaking her head.

It would be nice to spend some time away and let Jesse prove that he could be the father he is so desperately trying to show everyone he is. It would be good for all involved.


	20. Chapter 20

"Nice place," Abel said looking around. It was a small two bedroom apartment, just a few minutes from his home. He let a smile through seeing the pictures that hang on the wall. After all the years that it seemed like his dad hadn't cared, he had. He kept all the pictures they had sent him. "You can have dogs here right?" Abel asked, turning back to his dad.

"Why? I think you should talk to your mom if you want a dog. I can't go out and buy you one," Jesse told his son, showing him to the room he had set up just for his son. "I would but I can't afford to get into trouble like that with her."

"No, I mean I want a dog but I've been put in charge of watching Hobs while mom and Wade are gone this weekend," he explained walking into the room that had been decorate with sports stuff. It wasn't the stuff Abel would have picked out for himself but it was cool.

"That should be fine," Jesse told him, trying to recall if pets were allowed or not. "I know how big of a fan of Lavon's you are and I had gotten that jersey from him, he signed it for ya and everything," Jesse told him with a proud smile.

"That's his first pro-bowl jersey," Abel excitedly said, examining the jersey that hung on the wall. Maybe he could have a real relationship with his dad; it seemed that he knew things about him after all. "I'm gonna go get Hobs," Abel told him, making a move to walk out of his room. He needed a little time to process what he had learned about his dad. He really didn't think that his dad listened or knew anything about him with the carefree attitude he had.

"Alright but don't be too long," Jesse warned him. He didn't want to get after Abel if he didn't have to. He wanted to have fun with his son this weekend but if Zoe found out that he went around any of the rules that she had clearly laid out for him, he was afraid to see what Zoe would do to him if he broke those rules.

"I won't," Abel told him, heading outside. He had every urge to go see his friends before getting Hobs, but he wanted to prove that he could behave while his mom was away and he was almost positive that his dad would give her a rundown when she got back. This time he'd stick it out, next time was going to be a different story when he knew just how his dad was going to be and on the flip side of things he did want to spend this time with his dad.

Nearly 20 minutes later Jesse was pacing in the front yard of his apartment building waiting on his son to return. He couldn't even call Abel's cell phone as Zoe had taken it away from him. He didn't want his number to come across Zoe or Wade's caller IDs since they were both gone and he had Abel for the weekend. He was at a complete loss on what to do.

"Where have you been?" Jesse asked when Abel rode up on his bike, a panting Hobs stopping next to Abel.

"I took him to the park. Mom knew I was there, Wade informed me that Hobs needed to play for a few minutes since he's been locked in the house all day," Abel told him.

"Great," Jesse muttered. "Abel you're on my time now, not your mom's time, you should've let me know," Jesse told him placing Abel's bike in his garage.

"I thought mom did," Abel told him. "She knows that I don't have my phone," he replied back waiting for his dad to unlock the front door so they could go in.

"Yeah I'll be taking that up with her when I talk to her," he informed his son. "Do you have any homework to do?" Jesse asked his son, letting them into the apartment.

"Nope, finished it last night," Abel responded flopping himself down on the couch. "Any ideas on what we're going to do?" He asked looking at up at his dad.

"I know it's against the rules but I've got a bunch of video games we can play, we don't have to tell your mom everything now do we?" Jesse asked, showing Abel where the games we're at. "You pick," he told his son.

"You're not going to tell are ya?" Abel asked a little uneasy. It sounded like a good idea, but he didn't need to get into more trouble when his dad told his mom what they did over the weekend. And he wanted the chance to be able to come back to his dad's house.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I was gonna tell on ya. I can keep a few secrets," Jesse told his son. That was all Abel needed to hear. He did however hope that his dad wouldn't crumble when pressed for answers. He knew how strict his mom could be and when she wanted answers you best tell her what it is she wants to know. "I'm not going to break all the rules you have while being grounded, but I think this one it totally fine. We're not having a party and no friends of yours are coming over, you're not going out and I really think this one rule is okay to break," Jesse told him.

"Just don't ruin this for me," he warned, grabbing a control. He could refuse but why should he? He was getting a chance to hang out with his father and even his mom broke the rules while she was grounded. He really thought that it was okay to break a rule or two as long as it was nothing big and video games wasn't that big of a deal.

That one little comment made Jesse grin; he had wanted a real relationship with his son and it really looked like he was getting that. In the past he had been afraid to approach Zoe and Abel about that because back then he wasn't ready for the responsibility that came along with being a father, but now he was a changed man and so far he had no regrets in moving to Mobile to build a lasting bond with his son. Not only was he slowly gaining trust with Abel he was mending the broken bridges with his dad and brother. This one day at time thing it was really working out for him. For the first time in a long time he was content with where his life was at and the direction that it was heading in.

"You think I'm going to do that?" Jesse asked with a smirk, letting Abel pick the football team he wanted first.

"Nah, you wouldn't," Abel remarked, glancing over at his dad. In that moment Abel realized that his dad had the same amount to lose as he did. "Would you hurry up and pick your team so I can beat ya already?" Abel asked with a laugh.

Hanging out with his son and playing video games nothing was better than that to Jesse. He was still finding it hard to work up the courage to talk to Abel about the bigger things in his life like girls and the whole mess that got him grounded to begin with. He didn't know how to approach those topics and really he didn't know just how comfortable he was at this point in discussing them with Abel. He got that at some point he had to man up and talk to his son about them but for now he just wanted to hang out with him.

"Can I ask you something?" Abel asked over pizza a few hours later. They had finished playing which Abel had won and decided to head out for some pizza. Jesse hadn't seen the harm in that as Abel would be with him the whole time, it wasn't like Abel could get into trouble while he was with his dad.

"You can ask me anything," Jesse responded, placing his slice of pizza down on his plate, gearing up for what he assumed was going to be a serious conversation.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Abel asked. "If you're not, that chick has been checking you out for the last 20 minutes or so," he informed his dad. His mom was happy with someone else so why couldn't his dad find someone that made him just as happy as Wade made his mom.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," he informed his son. With moving around every few months he had found it was easier to keep things from getting serious the hard way. He couldn't deal with another heartbreak like the one he had not only dealt with but caused with Zoe. "I'll keep that in mind," Jesse said looking to see just who his son was talking about. She was gorgeous with the way her auburn hair fell in front of her heart shaped face, the way her blood rushed to her porcelain cheeks painting them a rose color, her hazel eyes reflecting specks of gold in the right light, her smile lighting her face.

"Do you like what you see?" Abel asked, wiping the grease from his fingers and face. Jesse nodded his head, his eyes casting a quick glance at the woman in question. "I'll be right back," he smirked, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Jesse asked with a hiss. All he got in response was a smirk as Abel walked over to the table. Jesse shook his head watched as his son made his way over to the table she sat at. He wasn't sure whether he should be shocked or ashamed with the way his son was flirting with her.

"Her name is Aislin, she loves animals and thinks that you are cute," Abel smirked, sliding a slip of paper over to his dad. "That's her number." Jesse looked from the piece of paper to his son in shock. He cast a glance over to Aislin and sent her a smile. "Oh and dad you will call her, I don't need you to make me look like a fool and I did give her your number," he informed his father digging back into his slice of pizza

"Okay," Jesse said, stuffing the number into his pocket. He'd worry about calling Aislin at a later date when he didn't have his son. "Things with Rose seem to be going good," he commented changing the topic of conversation.

"They are good," Abel told him. "But mom raised me to respect the people around me and she instilled it in me to be the most utmost perfect gentlemen." Hearing his son say things like that about Zoe raising him to show respect and to be a gentlemen when it came to the opposite sex, it stung and he knew at that he only had himself to blame for it but it still stung.


	21. Chapter 21

"You shouldn't be worried, they're gonna have fun," Wade told her, stealing a glance in her direction at a red light. He wanted this weekend to be easy for Zoe and not have her so worried. He didn't trust his brother as far as he could throw him so assuring Zoe that things were going to be okay between them was hard to do, but he barely knew who his brother was these days and from what he could see, Jesse was trying and that meant something.

"I know," she sighed, giving him a small smile. This was the first time she had ever left her son longer than the hours she put into work. "I trust him, both of them but as a mother I am always going to worry about him, even when he has his own family," she told him shaking her head. It was pathetic of her to think of her teenage son as a baby that needed her, even if he acted like he didn't need her, he did. "But this weekend is about us and I will try my hardest to let my worries about my son go," she informed him. She was happy to be spending this time with Wade just the two of them, but she knew no matter how hard she tried her worry for Abel was going to be in the back of her mind. "Do you think he'll stick to Abel's punishment?" She asked, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"To extant, I think he will. He does want to have fun with Abel and prove that Abel can rely on him if he needs to. He won't let Abel get away with everything but I think a few smaller rules you set will be broken. Are you okay with that?" Wade questioned her. He didn't think much of his brother as a father, but he was certain that he wouldn't mess this up and let Abel have complete control on what happened with Zoe out of town. If Jesse was anything like they were when they were younger before life hit them with the worst kind of curve ball than Jesse would step up and be the father he should be, one that looked out and cared for the ones he loved.

"Yeah I'm okay with that. I want them to have a bond," she confessed. It was going to hurt after all the years she spent creating the bond she had with her son to let Jesse come in and build his own bond with Abel but she knew it needed to be done, as long as Jesse stuck around this time. As selfish as she wanted to be when it came to Abel now wasn't the time for that. She didn't want Abel to resent her for not letting him build a lasting relationship with his father.

"And they will," Wade assured her. This time when he said it, even he had to believe in his words. He could see that his brother had been lost but now that he had his family back, he was trying to do everything he could to keep them around. Maybe his brother had found exactly what it was he was searching for.

Zoe gave him a smile, resting her hand on his knee. As hard as it was going to be she really needed to focus on Wade this weekend, she wanted to put all her attention on Wade, but she was finding it difficult to keep the mother part of her hid. She was going to try and do it because Wade deserved that much. This was for them and it wouldn't be fair to either one of them if all she did was worry about her son. Abel was old enough to look after himself if he had to, but she doubted that Jesse would just flake on him after wanting him. They'd be okay, she believed that. "So what is it you have planned for us this weekend?" She asked; ready to give Wade her full attention.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he smirked, pulling her hand up to his lips and placing a soft kiss to her knuckles at a stop sign.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't," she retorted with a playful eye roll as Wade placed her hand back on his leg.

"That's right I found the one woman in all of Alabama that doesn't like secrets," he sarcastically replied with a smirk firmly in place. She went to protest but he kept on talking. "That's not right, I forgot you like certain surprises."

After all the unexpected surprises in her life that was a good enough reason alone not to like them. She was very fond of controlling what happened in her life, she got that she couldn't always do that, but most the time she could. "I've liked all the surprise you've given me," she told him softly. Wade smiled, taking her hand in his.

"You'll like the things I have planned this weekend as well," he told her.

"We're not leaving the hotel room are we?" She questioned him with amusement in her voice.

"I can make that happen if that's what you really want," he smirked at her. She rolled her eyes, pulling her hand free to lightly smack his arm. "None of that," he playfully scolded her. "We wouldn't want you to cause an accident." She couldn't help but laugh but no she didn't want to be in an accident. She wanted to get to their destination in one piece.

They made small talk the rest of the way, Zoe found herself relaxing as more time passed them by. They had stopped for a small bite to eat at a little café that Zoe just adored. Wade was really trying to make this weekend about Zoe. He wanted to see her happy and after everything she's been through she deserved a weekend where she was the one being pampered.

"After we check in and get our things to the room we have to leave again," Wade told her, as he started to pull the suitcases out of the trunk of the car. Zoe gave him a funny look. "Dolphins, we're going to go on a little charter to see them in the ocean," he gave in and told her. With the look of curiousness on her face he couldn't reset how cute she looked.

She smiled and jumped on him. Ever since she was a little girl she had loved dolphins and now she was going to be seeing them in their own habitat, not in some aquarium at the Zoo but in their true home and she couldn't wait. His surprises really were the best ones she ever been given. "Has anyone ever told you that you Wade Kinsella are the best?" She questioned, pulling her lips off of his breaking the kiss she had started.

"No one has ever told me that, expect for you," he informed her with a cheesy grin, quickly kissing her once more. "If we spend too much more time out here in the parking lot making out like teenagers, we're going to be late and miss it all," he told her with a chuckle, seeing the seriousness of the situation cross her face. "Is that what you want?"

She gave him a look filled with crazy. "What do you think?" She questioned him, pulling a smaller bag on her shoulder. It's not going to happen on my watch," she told him, grabbing his hand and the handle of her suitcase to drag both her boyfriend and her suitcase behind her.

After what Zoe could only describe as magic watching the dolphins swim and jump right in front of her eyes in the blue ocean, the couple walked around downtown Fairhope taking in the sights as the sun was starting to get lower in the sky. Zoe's head resting comfortably against her boyfriend, his arm tightly wrapped around her, lost in their own little blissful world. Words weren't needed.

"Thank you for today," she told Wade, joining him in the bed.

"No thanks needed," he told her, pulling her smaller frame on top of his own. "I've got another way for you to say thank you in mind," he husked in her ear.

"Is that so?" She purred, feeling his teeth nip at her neck.

The next day the couple didn't wake up until the late afternoon. Smiles on their faces as they stepped out of the bathroom steam filling the small room from more than just the hot water. They had only left the room to get something to eat for a late lunch soaking up the rays of sun as they had a little picnic at a nearby park, they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. It had been easier to cancel any plans for the day and just enjoy each others company in the privacy of their room.

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 **Please go and vote in the poll that's on my profile page, for the new story you want to see once I've gotten a few more of my current ones going to end. Just click on my username and you should be able to see the poll. Thank you. Hope all of you guys enjoyed this little chapter.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Remember if you haven't done so yet head on over to my profile page and vote! If you're on a phone and can't see the poll, I believe if you happen to change your phone from mobile to desktop view it will work for you. Anyway enjoy!**

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"Did you have fun?" Zoe asked hugging her son. She had missed him and Wade had done an amazing job keeping her thoughts away from her son and what could possibly be going on with him and Jesse. She had been totally fine with Abel coming home after school like he normally did, but Jesse had informed her that he was going to pick Abel up from school so he could talk to Zoe. She was fine with that; just apprehensive about what Jesse wanted to talk back.

"Yeah, I'm gonna take Hobs home," Abel said giving his parents a chance to talk without him around.

"He was good and didn't break the rules?" Zoe questioned, looking at Jesse.

"Things were good, we had fun," Jesse told her with a nod. "I was thinking that maybe I could have him a little more," he suggested, hoping that he didn't over step any bounds. But at some point he was going to have to find a way to get over this fear he had of Zoe keeping Abel from him, the last thing he wanted to do was take this whole thing to court but he would if that was the only way he felt like he could have his son in his life, but yet again he didn't want to think that Zoe would just up and take Abel away from him without a good reason on why she was doing it.

"We can start with the weekends twice a month," Zoe suggested. She wasn't ready just to hand Abel off on him until she knew without a doubt that he'd be sticking around.

"I can handle that," Jesse told her with a faint smile. "I don't want to start anything but why didn't you call me and let me know that Abel had to walk and play with Hobs before coming back to my place?" He asked, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What do you mean?" Zoe asked him confused. "Abel was supposed to call you from the house phone, at least I told him to because we were running late and that even though Hobs was his responsibility he had to call you and make sure it was okay with you," she explained. "Had I known he wouldn't call you, I would've done it from the road, but I didn't know," she told him.

"Seriously?" Jesse asked with a chuckle.

"I don't see what's so funny about this," Zoe scolded him.

"Can't you see what he's doing?" Jesse asked with cocked eyebrow. Zoe just looked at him looking a little lost. "He's pitting us, Zo."

"Of course," she agreed. "What are we going to do?" She asked. She wasn't use to this, not when she was the only parent in his life on a daily bases.

"Confront him," Jesse suggested with a shrug. "What do you normally do?" He asked.

"Talk to him about why he did something," Zoe told him with a sigh. She was getting use to this wonderful, listen to the rules Abel, she forgot all about the Abel that could cause trouble because he was good at it and she really didn't want him to fall back into that path.

"Then we talk to him and let him know that he can't get away with doing it. I know we'll never have that relationship we once had and that's fine but I would like us to get along and be able to co-parent together, give me a chance," he begged.

"Okay, it makes sense if you're going to be in his life," she agreed giving in to him, but it did make sense, if he was going to be apart of Abel's life then he needed to be able to be there, they could work on being friends and parents to Abel. What could possibly go wrong? "When it comes to Abel we have to agree on things and we can't do that fighting with each other. We'll talk to him together," Zoe let him know.

That made Jesse smile. After spending the last few days with Abel he quickly realized that he wanted his son in his life on a regular basis and not when he had the time to play the role of father. He was determined to make things right with his son.

"What's going on?" Abel asked entering the house to see both his parents waiting for him. With the looks on their faces he had a feeling he was in trouble for something.

"Have a seat," Zoe told him pulling a kitchen chair out for him. Abel slowly walked to the chair his mom was offering him. "Now can you tell me why you lied to your Dad?"

"Lie about what?" Abel asked becoming genuinely lost, looking between his parents. He hadn't expected them to team up on him about anything.

"Think about it," Zoe told him. "What did you tell him I was going to do when I told you to call him and make sure he was okay with it?" Zoe questioned him.

"Oh that," Abel sighed. "I thought you would call to inform him anyway that I didn't think it was necessary I do it too," he used as his excuse.

"And that makes it okay, to make me worry?" Jesse asked. "To make me think it was your mom's fault when you're old enough to take responsibility for your actions?" He questioned. "Abel you're old enough that your mom shouldn't have to check up on you."

"I know and I'm sorry and it won't happen again," he told his parents. "Can I go now? I do have homework and this is starting to freak me out," he confessed.

"As long as you know that you can't pit us against each other and expect to get away with things. You have to know that we're going to talk about things and find the best way to punish you if need be," Jesse warned him.

"I get it, Dad," Abel told him, getting up. "It won't happen again," he promised.

"Go," Zoe told him. "That wasn't as weird as I thought it would be," Zoe confessed once Abel was out of the room.

"It wasn't," Jesse smiled. Maybe they could make this work after all. He got that it was going to be hard but he could manage not only for himself but for Abel.

"I'd invite you to stay for dinner but we're going out with Wade," she told him. She wanted to be friends with Jesse so it would be easier for all of them and she was trying.

"Don't worry about it, I've got plans for dinner," he smiled walking to the door. Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Yes it's a date, Zo, don't look so shocked," he chuckled.

Zoe shook her head, she had moved on from the wreck Jesse had caused in her life, she just wasn't expecting Jesse to, not when every chance he had he brought up getting her back. She was happy for him. She could only hope he didn't treat this one the way he had treated her. "You do know that if things become too serious I will need to meet her if you're going to have her around Abel," Zoe warned him.

"I know and she's meet Abel, he actually set it up," Jesse informed her. "I gotta go but we'll talk about this more later?" He questioned, pushing the door open.

"Uh sure," Zoe replied, seeing him out. Taking a deep breath she headed upstairs to see her son. "Your dad tells me that you've met his girlfriend," she announced, stepping into her son's bedroom.

"Uh yeah, I got him the date cause he was scared. I think she'll be good for him and they haven't been on a date yet," he cleared up for her.

"Oh they are going out tonight," Zoe commented, sitting on his bed, digesting what Abel was telling her.

"Actually he's cooking for her, are we done here? I would like to finish my work before dinner. Can't you talk to dad about her?" Abel questioned turning back to his computer.

"Right," Zoe replied, getting up. "You need any help?" Zoe offered walking to the door.

"Nope, I'm good," he mumbled as a reply.

Zoe nodded and walked downstairs; grabbing a bottle of water she went to sit outside on the porch needing the fresh air. She smiled, patting Hobs head when he ran up and nudged her hand.

"What's got you deep inside that pretty head of yours?" Wade asked stealing a small kiss when she looked at him.

"I like what we have and I enjoy our time together but Jesse," she said pausing not really sure how to bring this up without offending Wade in the process.

"What did he do now? Abel said he had fun while we were gone," Wade commented. "He didn't make a pass at you did he?" Wade questioned with anger filling his voice.

"No," Zoe told him, resting a hand on his arm. "He has a date tonight and he's making her dinner," she filled him in on the ongoing of his brother's life.

"Oh," Wade huffed looking and sounding disappointed.

"What's that about?" Zoe asked feeling on edge.

"You act like you're not over him. I can't believe I'm the one saying this but he has every right to move on, you can't expect him to stay available for you," Wade told her, getting up from his spot next to her.

"I'm over him and I know he has the right to move on and I want him to," Zoe told him. "I don't want him, I want you, Wade. It's just a shock, this could be someone that's around Abel a lot and I have to make sure she's okay, for Abel. This has nothing to do with Jesse. I want you, Wade," she explained further. "Can't you see that?"

"Right now? No, Zoe I can't see that because you're worried about Jesse and his latest fling. I get that you need to for Abel's sake but you don't need to drive yourself crazy about her. I can't tell if you're worried about the influence she'll be on Abel or the fact she's with Jesse and you suddenly decided that you want him back," Wade told her crossing the yard.

"That's not the case, Wade. Why would want him when I have you?" She questioned, tossing her arms in the air.

"I don't know, Zoe. You tell me, when you know the answer," Wade replied storming into his house.

Rolling her eyes to keep the tears at bay, she headed inside. She wasn't so much worried about Jesse as she was Abel. It took her years to be comfortable enough to even consider bringing any guy into Abel's life. Jesse could do as he pleased where Abel wasn't concerned.

"I take it we're eating in?" Abel asked, entering the kitchen. "I'll order the pizza and mom you should really go talk to Wade and sort this out. Fighting about Aislin and dad is just dumb," Abel told her grabbing the phone to call the pizza place.

She knew her son was right, but right now she wanted to let Wade have his space. They'd sort things out later when they both had a chance to cool off and collect their thoughts. She wasn't trying to make it seem like she wanted to be with Jesse, that ship had sailed years ago, she was simply scared.


	23. Chapter 23

"I was thinking that I'd go over and talk to Wade," Zoe told her son, cleaning up from dinner lost in thought. She didn't want this little spat between them to last longer than necessary. It was a stupid thing to be fighting over in the first place and she really only had herself to blame. After thinking about things Wade had every right to get upset about it. She had the right to panic slightly but she had made it seem like she was more worried about Jesse than the whole thing of it. She had to address her fears to him, so he could understand that it wasn't about Jesse but more so about the bigger picture because Abel was involved in the whole thing. She really didn't care who Jesse saw or what he did when Abel wasn't around him.

"Thanks for the heads up, mom. I'm gonna go study for a test before calling it a night," Abel told her. "Night and love you," he said kissing her cheek.

"Night sweetie, love you," she replied earning a groan from her son. Zoe giggled biting her bottom lip softly, looking out the kitchen window at Wade's place. With a soft smile on her face she headed upstairs to find her most sultry set of lingerie that was red and black. She pulled a little sexy black dress from her closest and pulled it on, buttoning a few of the buttons up. She grabbed a pair of knee high heeled boots out from the closest she had no use in wearing in a few years now. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror she headed out checking on Abel on her way out.

She dug his spare key out of its hiding spot; she made sure to lock his door behind her. Quietly and carefully she made her way through his kitchen and up his stairs. She took a deep breath seeing the light peeking out from under his bedroom door. She pushed the door open Hobs wagging his tail seeing Zoe stood in the doorway. She ushered Hobs from the room, closing the door behind her.

Wade could see her reflection in the window, but remained quiet, his fingers softly plucking away at the strings of his guitar. He watched as she walked up to him. He wasn't about to protest what it was she was doing here. He had wanted to go over and talk to her about things, but it just didn't feel right, not with the way he had left things off at. He had planned on waiting until tomorrow when Abel wasn't around to talk to her. But here she was looking like a very vivid wet dream.

Zoe took his guitar away, placing a finger to his lips to keep him from talking. "I'm sorry," she told him, straddling his lap. "I don't know how else to convince you that I want you and only you. This thing with Jesse is because I'm scared of the unknown with him, co-parenting, and then add a girlfriend to that, I'm scared that he'll blow off Abel for her after he's made such an amazing progress on the father front," she told him, her arms around his neck, fingers playing in the hair on the nape of his neck. "I choose you always, Wade," she whispered, pressing her lips against his. He wasted no time in pulling her closer, his tongue tracing along her bottom lip. His tongue diving right into her warm mouth, their tongues doing a dance.

"I get it," Wade told her breaking the kiss, his eyes quickly closing as her soft lips left a burning trail across his jaw line and down his neck where she let her teeth sink in softly, earning a deep groan from Wade. "You can't worry about it, baby. Jesse is going to do what he wants, he always has. I know you don't like that, but you can't let it bother you and I'm here to help keep these scared feelings away," he told her with a deep growl, his rough hands roaming over soft tanned legs.

"But I can't help it because Abel is my child, Wade," she told him, breaking the hold she had on him, her hands gripping his shoulders. "I hate fighting with you over Jesse, he's going to be apart of my life forever, because we're linked through Abel, I can't change that. And I can't stop myself from worrying about the choice's Jesse makes because it's going to have some kind of effect on Abel."

"I get that, I hate it, but I get it. And sometimes I let my jealousy get in the way of things when Jesse is involved and I'm trying to work on that but it's hard, especially when I know that he had you first even if he messed it up. Things would be different if he hadn't screwed things up and that's a bitter pill to swallow at times," he confessed.

"But things aren't different. Things with Jesse just weren't meant to be and sure I spent many years wishing things with him would've work out but no matter what I did, it never would have worked out because I really feel like it was never meant to be. He's not my soul mate and I don't know if you are either Wade," she told him. "But you can't think about how things would be if they were different because the truth is we'd still be here together," she assured him.

"Okay," he whispered capturing her lips in a tender and loving kiss. "Then we stop fighting about Jesse," Wade told her. He knew how crazy that sounded to his own ears, but they could do it. Jesse was a sore topic for both of them; they just had to think clearly before saying anything.

"Easier said than done," Zoe chuckled.

"I know," he mumbled against her neck, his fingers working on the buttons. "Damn things," he muttered, earning soft giggles from his girlfriend.

With some whining and protests from Wade, she was able to stand up, slowly popping each button on her dress, slowly revealing what it was she had on underneath. With the dress lying on the floor around her feet, Wade slowly raked his eyes over his girlfriend's body. "You trying to kill me?" He husked out, pulling her down to his lap, his lips and tongue working over every inch of flesh they could reach, his hands running over her stomach to her back to undo the clasp on her bra.

* * *

"I didn't realize just how bad of a boyfriend I really had," Rose laughed into the phone, hearing her boyfriend's voice on the other end.

"Every woman loves a bad boy," Abel smirked, lying back on his bed. He had done all the studying for his test that he could do, his brain felt like it was fried. He wasn't stupid he knew it was going to be a few hours before his mom came home or she wouldn't show up until morning. The very thought grossed him out because no kid at any age wanted to know what their parents got up to behind closed doors. But knowing that his mom was going to be gone for a while he took the risk in calling his girlfriend because he missed her and he didn't care how that made him seem. "I'd risk it to talk to you, beautiful," he told her his voice growing soft with all the care in the world for Rose.

"Not every girl gets the amazing boyfriend I have," she commented with a small smile, her cheeks flushed a bright red color. She was happy that she was alone in her room with only a dim lamp beside her bed on. "The bad boy and the sweet guy rolled into one, I'm pretty lucky," she confessed.

"I'm the lucky one, baby" he told her.

Rose rolled her eyes, making herself comfortable on her bed. "Maybe so," she agreed, "where's your mom? I can only guess she's not around if you're calling me."

"Her and Wade got into it early over my dad getting a new girlfriend," Abel told her with a shrug. "I've got a major feeling she won't be back for quite sometime."

"Poor Wade," Rose commented.

"What do you mean poor Wade?" Abel asked with a little annoyance in his voice.

"If you would've let me finish," Rose berated him. "This is all new to your mom so she's having a hard time with it, I can only assume and well it can make Wade seem like he's on the outside of it all," she explained to him.

"Oh yeah," Abel mumbled, he hadn't thought about it that way. A silence grew between them as their breathing and the static from the phones could be heard.

"How are you with this new turn of events?" Rose asked him softly.

Taking a deep breath of air and slowly releasing it, Abel thought about it. It had really been the first time all weekend he let himself think about this new situation. He wanted his dad to be happy and to leave his mom and Wade alone. He could see that his parents were better off this way. He didn't think about how it would change things with him and his dad. "I want him to be happy and this is his chance," Abel confessed. "Though I really hope it doesn't drastically change things between us. I've spent so many years hating him because he wasn't around to be the father that I needed. I couldn't and I still can't understand why he did what it was he had done to us but at the same time I just want to be given the chance to know who my dad is. As long as I still get the chance with him having a girlfriend, I'm all for it," he informed her.

"That's pretty understandable, Abel," Rose agreed, letting his words sink in. "But I also think that he knows just how much he missed out on and he hates himself for that and right now he's focused on wanting to be the father he should have been and I don't think he's going to let this girlfriend of his interrupt the bond he's rebuilding with you," she told him trying so hard to comfort him and reassure him that he wasn't going to lose his father. Did she really believe the words she spoke? She wasn't sure about that because she hardly knew Jesse. But she did know that anyone was capable of stepping up and changing for the better, so this once she was giving Jesse the benefit of the doubt.

"Thanks for that," Abel told her with a smile. "I'll let you go," he said, wanting a few minutes to himself.

"You're welcome and I'm here for you," she told him. "Okay," she said softly.

After saying their byes, Abel tossed the phone to the side not caring if he got caught with the phone in his room or not, he'd let his mom know that he needed to talk to Rose about everything, just like he was going to actually open up to his mom on how it really made him feel and not just tell her he was okay with it, because as much as he was okay with things, he did have his own fears when it came to his dad.


	24. Chapter 24

_**I quickly just want to say t**_ _ **hank you all for still being with me when it comes to this story and thank you to anyone that has just started reading this one. Means a lot! Enjoy!**_

 _ **Lastly the poll on my page, remember to vote if you haven't yet. I will say this much there's a three way tie for first place!**_

* * *

The very last thing Zoe wanted to do was deal with her ex-husband at his house. Work had taken its toll on her and she really wanted to go home and curl up under her covers for the rest of the night, she could feel herself coming down with something.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zoe asked seeing Jesse return from the kitchen. She was worried that he was ready to tell her that he could handle any of this and take off like he was best known for. When it came to Jesse she could only help but think about the worst case scenario.

"I've had a small talk with Abel and maybe I should have talked about things with you as well," he told her, taking a seat sitting so he was facing her. "After hearing how worried Abel was about things, it made me think." Zoe nodded her head.

"Talked to Abel about what?" She questioned. "Not that I have a problem with that, depending on what the topic was," she informed him. Jesse nodded his head thinking back to the conversation he had with his son the night before.

 _"I know I have been a crap father but I can see that something is bothering you. Want to fill me in?" Jesse asked, leaning back in his chair. He had spent enough time around Abel that he could tell when something was bothering his son._

 _"How was your date?" Abel asked, playing with the soda can in his hands. He didn't even know how to bring this topic up without it seeming like he was trying to accuse him off something. Having talks with his mom was easy because he had a good idea on how she was going to react to what he said, but his dad was a different story._

 _"It was good," Jesse replied a cheesy smile on his face. The date head been one of the best dates he's ever had. "We've got plans for tomorrow night."_

 _"Awesome," Abel told him, nodding his head. "Can you like I dunno promise me that when things get to be serious between you guys that you won't like ditch me for her?" He asked his eyes focused on that can in his hand._

 _"Um oh, uh where's this coming from? Did your mom say something to you?" He asked, his anger slowly rising._

 _"No," Abel quickly told him. "I may be jumping to conclusions here considering it's only been a date, but I've never had to deal with this before. I can't compare you to mom because she'd never blow me off for anything, I come first and I don't have to worry about something like that with her, but I haven't been able to put that much faith into you and I know it sounds horrible but well it's the truth," Abel told him. Telling the truth sucked but he didn't care to lie to his father just to have things smoothed over._

 _"That hurts but I do deserve it. I haven't been around; I've blown both you and your mom off so it's understandable. I don't know if this thing with Aislin will get serious or not, but I've learned that I can't and that I don't want to miss anything else when it comes to you. So I promise to put you first. Okay?"_

 _"Yeah," Abel shrugged._

"If he has worries then I know for a fact you do as well, Zoe," he said softly.

"I do and I've never had to deal with this before because you were never around and I do like you being here for him, it's nice," she admitted with a smile. "And yeah I may be jumping really fast ahead with my feelings, but I'm afraid that you're going to get so wrapped up with her that you're going to forget about Abel, especially now that this thing has just started out," she confessed, running a hand through her hair.

"Like I told Abel I've missed so much when it comes to him and I can't change that, I don't want to miss anything else when it comes to him. I look forward to the time I get to spend with him, I like being a father and spending time with him," he told her. He really did wish he would have wised up sooner when it came to his family, but even when he was out there, he'd think about them and it would hurt and he felt like he was being like his own father in giving up and every time he came back into their lives he wanted to stay, but he saw how they didn't need him and that pained him so he left thinking it was for the best and now he could see that it never was, that he was not only hurting himself but his son as well. This was his chance to be the father he should have always been and he was going to do everything he could to keep being the father Abel needed in his life. "I plan things around Abel; this is my chance to prove to everyone that I can change, that I have changed. I want my son in my life, Zoe. I'm not going to screw that up."

"Good," she told him. "I like having you around, Abel loves it. I want you to see the amazing son we created, to know him like I do. Promise me that if you have that urge to run, if it makes a small appearance you'll talk to someone, anyone," she begged him, getting up, she really wanted to be home in bed, the longer she was at Jesse's the worse she felt.

"I promise I will," he told her, following her to the door. "I'm not letting anything stand in my way of getting to know my son."

"I want you to prove me wrong, Jesse," she whispered, taking a deep breath. "I want our son to know you the way I did, the amazing man you really are before you got scared and left. I want you to have a strong bond with him, just not stronger than the one I have with him," she joked slightly.

"That is impossible," he chuckled. "I could never have a bond stronger than the one you two have," he spoke softly. "If I've learned anything from you is that I need to put Abel first." Zoe hugged him and she noticed how the hug was just a friendly one and all those feelings she had for him in the past were no longer present and that made her really happy. At some point she had gotten the closure she needed with Jesse and it felt nice to know that she could be friends with him with nothing extra in the way.

Getting home she checked to see if Abel was home yet, seeing that he was still out, more than likely taking care of the dogs, she went straight to her room changed into a tank top and shorts and crawled under her covers. Her mind was focused on the talk she had with Jesse. She could only hope that things were going to get better where he was concerned in their lives.

Abel frowned walking into the house; he had to turn the lights on. He really thought that his mom was going to get mad at him for coming home so late when he was still grounded. Yesterday was one of the days he spent with his dad during the week and today he should've been home a few hours ago, but he stayed a little longer playing with the dogs and then he kinda stayed over at Wade's when he noticed his mom wasn't home yet.

"Mom?" He questioned, walking through the house going straight to her room and pushing the door open. He walked over to her bed and lightly nudged her. "You feeling okay?" He asked once she was awake.

"No, grab some money from my purse for take out," she told him. He nodded, kissing her cheek and left his mom be.

Instead of taking some money from her purse, he walked out the door and went to see Wade. He wasn't even going to bother looking for any soup in their house because he was pretty sure they didn't have any. It wasn't something they ate and they only got a couple cans when one of them would get sick. "Abel, everything okay?" Wade asked, seeing the boy in question walk into his house.

"Mom's sick and we don't have soup, I was wondering if maybe you did?" Abel questioned.

Hearing that his girlfriend was sick made him worry. He nodded and dug a can of chicken noodle soup out of his cupboard. "I have some dinner left over if you want some," Wade suggested, grabbing a pot to start cooking the soup in.

"Thanks," Abel told him, grabbing a plate. Wade's cooking sounded so much better than any take out he could have ordered.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe smiled, watching her boyfriend walk in with a tray. "You didn't have to do this," she commented, sitting up.

"Being the amazing boyfriend that I am bring you soup and of course I did," he confirmed with his smirk, taking a seat on the bed next to her. "Abel's at my place, eating dinner. Said he'd be back over after he finished eating," Wade let her know.

"Okay and thanks," she told him softly, blowing on a small bite of food. "Can you do me a favor?" She asked, playing with her spoon in the soup.

"What's that?" Wade questioned.

"Take Abel's things in my closet and put them in his room. He's been so understanding and I can see that he's learnt his lesson; it's easier to let him off his punishment. He messed up and he knows that," Zoe told him.

"I agree," Wade told her, getting up. "I'll get them back to his room and I'll be back to check on you," he said, bending down to kiss her forehead.

Zoe smiled and went back to eating her soup. She was happy and content with the way her life had turned out. She had such an amazing boyfriend in Wade, a boyfriend she was falling head over heels in love with and that thought didn't scare her as much as she had once thought it would. She couldn't complain about her son either, he was a pretty good kid when he wanted to be and as far as Jesse was concerned she was just happy that he was still around and was willing and ready to prove them all wrong, she'd be okay if she was wrong about him.


	25. Chapter 25

"I don't have time, Jesse," Wade announced, entering his house. He had fallen asleep over at Zoe's and she still wasn't feeling any better but as determined as she was she had gone into work, saying that she'd be just fine. He had protested against that pointing out she worked at a hospital. She waved his concern away telling him that whatever she had wasn't contagious, that she knew of but it didn't feel like the flu or anything like that, she was positive about that because she wasn't sick to her stomach. All he could do was let her go.

"Would it make you feel better if you punched me?" Jesse asked from his spot. Wade shook his head.

"It might but it wouldn't fix anything between us," Wade told him, unlocking his house door and walking in. "Time is still something I don't have a lot of this morning."

"It could," Jesse smirked. "Do you ever have time, Wade?" Older brother asked little brother, following him into the house. "Because lately you don't have time for me but you have time for everyone else. Is it that hard for you to sit down and talk to me?" Jesse asked him.

"Of course I do but I do have work this morning," Wade sighed, glancing at the clock. He did have a little time to spare. "I don't have much time but I've got a few minutes, I'm free tonight though," he offered.

"I've got Abel, he called asked if he could stay over, said something about Zoe being sick and with you there to take care of her he didn't want to risk the chance of getting sick," he informed his brother. Wade nodded motioning for Jesse to take a seat at the table. "I'm happy that you're there for her, something that I should have done years ago. I'm happy that she has you," Jesse told him. Wade nodded, letting him know that he was listening. "I've messed up since we lost mom and I didn't know how to handle that and I was afraid that I'd end up like dad," he sighed. "I'm sorry for everything but most of all I'm sorry that I abandoned you, I should have done more to keep you in my life. It took me a while to figure out how to make things right with you and I'm still not certain that I can, but I am here trying and that has to count for something, Wade."

"It does," Wade told him, cutting off whatever his brother had to say. "Even under the circumstances, I'm starting to come around to you being here and it's not that bad and it's more to do with me than you, I want to forgive and forget and just move on but when it comes to us I'm that scared little boy that his brother once left and I can't go through that again, Jesse," he sighed, being honest with his brother. "I want that friendship we had when we're kids, to know that I could count on you if I needed you, but right now I can't but I'm willing to work on that, if you're willing to stick around longer than just a few months," he told him.

"I don't plan on leaving and if I do, I'll make sure that I don't lose you like I had at one point," he promised. "Ya know when I came here I had every intention of breaking you and Zoe up. Seeing my little brother with my ex-wife and son, it stung but seeing you guys together, I wouldn't dare break you guys up, you make her so happy and I can't take that away from them or you. You guys complete each other. It took sometime to be okay with that but I'm your biggest fan right behind Abel that is," he chuckled, his words ringing true.

"It's good to know," Wade smiled. "Besides I hear you have someone else in your life," he smirked. "Jesse, I want you to know that I was never trying to replace you as Abel's father, I'm still not. If you're anything like when we were kids before shit hit the fan, he's lucky to have you as his father," Wade told him sincerity wrapped warmly around each word he spoke.

"Thanks for that," Jesse told him, getting up. "I'll let you get to work. I don't want to keep you."

Wade followed him to the door. "Maybe we can hang out Saturday if you're not busy," Wade suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It would be nice," Jesse smiled. "Maybe it would be alright for you guys to meet Aislin too," he tossed out. "If you want, that is."

"I'll ran it past Zoe and let you know," Wade told him. Jesse nodded and walked off. Wade had to hurry up and get ready for work, his mind filled with if he was doing the right thing by letting Jesse back into his life this easily. In the past it was easy to blame Jesse for what he done, but now he'd only have himself to blame if Jesse tucked tail and left.

Getting home that night he took care of Hobs and headed over to Zoe's place to see how his girlfriend was doing. Zoe had been on his mind all day and he tried to find a minute to get away to call her but today he had been swamped at work. He walked through her house going straight to his girlfriend's room.

"You okay?" He asked seeing her a bit paler than normal.

"I was talking to a friend at work today and she made an excellent point and I had to check and see if she was right," she rambled off. Wade was trying to follow along with her, but he was afraid he was going to lose what it was she was trying to tell him if she kept on this ramble mode of hers.

"Zoe, baby, I don't know what it is you're trying to tell me, can you kinda clue me in just a little more?" He asked, taking her hands in his.

"We've been together for almost 4 months now," she told him. Wade nodded his head, the best four months of his life so far. "And by no means are we ready for a baby," she tossed out with a small flinch not knowing how he was going to handle that piece of information.

"A baby?" He questioned her slowly, trying to wrap his mind around that one fact.

"Yes and no," she told him.

"Can you please clear this up for me because none of it is making sense?"

"Like I was saying I was talking a friend and complaining about how tired I was and how I wasn't feeling the best yesterday and how even this morning it seemed like I had no energy and I wanted to stay in bed and she brought up the idea that either I need to slow down and not let things with my personal life screw me up to the point where I can't sleep at night or that I could be pregnant," she explained all at once. "A baby it would be hard work but I don't doubt that we could do it, but it wouldn't be ideal and we've only been together for almost four months and we haven't got to the stage in our relationship where we come out and say that we love each other so what's that saying? We're not ready for a baby," she told him a slight panic in her voice.

"You bring up very valid points but we could make it work, Zoe," he told her. Telling her that he loved her was on the tip of his tongue but he didn't want her to think that he was only saying it because there could be a chance she was pregnant. He wanted it to be a little more special than that. "Are you pregnant?" He asked. "Because if you are that would be pretty awesome and we'd make it work out but if you're not hey that's fine too and by no means are we ready for a little baby because like you've said next month marks the forth month mark for our relationship and it's too soon to bring a child into our lives now not knowing what the future holds for us, but are you?" He asked after his own little ramble.

"I don't know," she told him. "I got a blood test done today and they rushed the results for me, but I haven't looked to see what the verdict is yet. I wanted to wait for you," she told him.

"Okay, we'll look together," he assured her.

Zoe nodded getting up and walking over to her purse to pull out the piece of paper that she had folded and stuffed in there. "Wade," she started to say not sure what else it was she wanted to add on as took her spot back on the bed sitting next to him.

"Zoe," he said, putting an arm around her. "Whatever this paper says, we're in this together and I'm not going anywhere okay?" She nodded her head kissing his cheek.

With one more look Zoe slowly unfolded the paper to reveal the answer on if she was with baby or not.

* * *

 **I can easily go either way with this, I know what way I want to take it but as much as it's my story it's also what you guys want to see happen. Do you want there to be a baby or no baby? Let me know. I hope you guys were able to enjoy this little chapter. Remember to go vote in the poll on my page.**


	26. Chapter 26

**After reading your thoughts on what you wanted and it being kinda split, I went with what I felt was the right thing to do. I know not everyone is going to be happy with the outcome but please remember there is still more to come. Enjoy!**

 **Remember if you haven't voted in the poll on my page, vote!**

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"What's going on?" Abel questioned walking into the house after school. He had a fun time with his dad the previous night. It was that extra something, that father/son bond that he had always craved to have with his dad that he was finally getting and he liked it. He enjoyed having his dad around where he was able to build a real bond with him. But walking into his house and seeing both his mom and Wade serious expressions on their faces he knew something was up and he tried to remember if he was the one in trouble when he couldn't recall ever doing anything wrong to begin with.

"We have to talk to you about something," Zoe told him. "You're not in trouble in any way and there is another thing I'd like to talk to you about after," she let him know. Abel nodded his head and sat down in the chair that one of them had moved to be directly in front of the couch they were sitting on. That just screamed that something bad was going to happen and this talk was more serious then even he knew.

"We came into a little situation that would change everything and we want to know how you'd feel about that," Wade told him, his thumb running over Zoe's knuckles.

"Am I going to be a big brother? This is what this whole thing is about isn't it?" He asked, his eyes going from his mom to Wade.

"How do you feel about that?" Zoe asked, skipping over whether she was or wasn't pregnant. She wanted to know how he felt before telling him whether he was going to be a big brother or not.

Abel sat back in the chair. How did he feel about that? He always wanted a little brother when he was little but he was so use to it just being him for so long. And besides now he'd never really get a chance to play with his little sibling like he would have been able to years ago. Not that it really mattered. "I wouldn't mind it," he told them. It could be weird with this baby not only being his little sibling but also his cousin, but he didn't have to let it be that weird. "I want you to be happy mom and if having a baby with Wade is in the works I'm okay with that. I can get over the fact that it would be my cousin as well as my sibling, that's nothing to overcome; it'll always be my little brother or sister. My one concern would be about you Wade. I've spent plenty of time with you and Dad to know that you're nothing like him, but I can't help but think in the tiniest form that you could be like him and leave when you realize this isn't what you want," Abel stated, turning his attention from his mom to Wade.

"I get where you think that, Abel. It's been you and your mom for so long that you grew up with the mentality that you had to be the man of the house and take care of your mom," Wade started to say. Abel's comments about him turning out to be like Jesse didn't hurt him, in some ways he was waiting for it and he was pleased that Abel had the nerve to bring it up now, he wanted to squash those worries away. He was nothing like his brother in this aspect, life got hard and you had to deal with not run away, the only good thing from running away did was letting you avoid your problem a little bit longer but it was always going to catch up with you in time. "But you have to know, I would never do that, I couldn't do that to your mom or to you, Abel. You're more than just my girlfriend's kid, more than just my nephew, I love you like you're my own. I'd do what was right by everyone, leaving just isn't in me. I know I can't say all this and for you to believe me, but I can promise that I won't just up and leave when things get hard and I'll prove that to you, Abel. I'm here for as long as your mom wants me to be around and even after that I'll still be around for you, okay?" Wade asked him.

"Okay," Abel told him. He was finding it easier to believe the things Wade told him, but Wade hadn't broke any promises to him like his father had. The fact that Wade was going to always be there for him and the way he said those things filled with love and certainty made him believe in Wade. The fact Wade was going to prove it to him was fantastic and he didn't want Wade to let him down so it was hard to get his hopes up. "Just know that if Mom does kick you to the curb, I had nothing to do with it," Abel smirked getting Wade to laugh.

"Just for the record here, I have no plans of kicking anyone to the curb," Zoe stated with a small eye roll. "I'm happy you feel that way, Abel," she started to say getting her sons attention. "But we're not having a baby, thought for a moment we were but I've just been too stressed out as of late and working extra shifts so that we can spend a little time in New York since we didn't make it for Christmas like planned," Zoe informed him.

"Okay," Abel said. He wanted to go to New York to see his grandma because he missed her dearly, but when the plans for Christmas had been changed he was happy about that because he didn't want to go back there and have any run-ins with his old friends. He was doing well and he didn't want them to persuade him into doing anything illegal. "I get that you guys didn't have to talk to me about having a baby, but thanks for like including me," he told them with a small shrug.

"You're apart of this family Abel," Wade told him with a smile. "It was the right thing to do, you should have a say in the matter even if it is a small say," he said with a smirk. Zoe lightly smacked Wade in the arm.

"I didn't want you to feel like we weren't including you or that what you thought didn't matter because it does matter Abel," Zoe told him. Abel nodded his head. He really wanted to be out of what he was now referring to as the hot seat. They talked to him and he gave them his opinions on them having a baby and after so long that thought wasn't exactly one he wanted to think about any longer than necessary. "I want to believe that you've learned your lesson for this last round of drug use," Zoe was saying when Abel started to nod his head to what she was saying.

"I have so much. It's wrong and I can mess so many things up and I like the way things are. I was being stupid not only now but even in New York and I'm sorry that I ever put you through any of that. It won't happen again and if it does, I'll come to you," Abel told his mom.

"Okay, but next time this happens your punishment is going to be a lot bigger than it was this time around."

"Okay, so does this mean I'm not grounded anymore?" He asked with hope in his eyes.

"Once you've finished walking the dogs in the neighborhood, you are," Zoe told him. Abel smiled and jumped up from the chair and headed to the door.

"Have you thought any more on getting me a dog of my own?" He asked, heading out the door not wanting to hear his mom's answer of no.

Zoe moved so she could lay her head on Wade's chest. Talking with Abel had gone better than she had anticipated. She was happy that Abel was okay with them having a baby at some point in the future when the timing was better for all of them involved. Learning that she wasn't pregnant she had been disappointed for a second before relief had flooded through her body. She wasn't ready for another baby, not when it was still so early in her relationship with Wade. She wanted to do things right this time around and not have it the same as it was with Jesse. She wanted to be sure that Wade was the one for her and not just be together because they had a child together. "A dog," she mumbled. She liked Hobs and she knew that Abel was more capable of taking care of a dog and maybe it would be nice to let him get one. They could make a day of it. She couldn't really remember the last time she had spent a whole day with her son; it had to have been before he got old enough to go out on his own.

"Speaking of which, Jesse wanted to know if it was okay with you if we had dinner with him and Aislin, his girlfriend I think," Wade told her, trying to remember if his brother had called Aislin his girlfriend or not.

"How is that speaking of?" Zoe questioned with soft giggles. "I guess that would be okay, when?" She asked him.

"More than likely tomorrow while Abel's spending the night with Earl," Wade told him. "Is that okay with you? I mean really okay?" He didn't want her to agree to something if she wasn't okay or sure about it.

"It'll have to be after work, I work until nearly 6 tomorrow night," she informed her boyfriend.

"That shouldn't be a problem," he let her know, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

He was worried about how Zoe would react to seeing Jesse and Aislin together, he knew he shouldn't because she had assured him that he was the one she wanted and not Jesse, but the worry was there. He didn't know how she was going to react to it all. Closing his eyes he changed his focus to the previous night when he found out that he could be a father, he wanted to be a father, to be given that chance and for a second he let himself get carried away with the possibilities of becoming a father. And he was saddened when he learnt that it wasn't in the cards right now, but after taking a moment to think about it, it was for the best. They weren't ready for a baby, he was positive they would be able to make it work out, but there would be a better time for them to have a baby.


	27. Chapter 27

**To the guest Reviewer thank you for saying that because I feel the exact same way when it comes to how Abel see's Wade, so it's really nice to know that I'm not the only one.**

 **Enjoy!**

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"What are we doing here?" Abel asked, glancing at the building that they sat in front of him. "Making me work with more dogs isn't much of a punishment," he retorted, looking over at his mom. His mom hadn't told him what they were doing just that they had plans and he'd see when they got there and if this was her idea of whatever her plan was, well he'd be okay with it, he would find it hard to walk away without being able to bring one of the dogs home with him, now that would be torture.

"I'm not making you work here," she laughed, getting out, Abel joining her still confused. "You've wanted a dog for years now and after all this time I've finally caved and you know how to handle and care for a dog. And I've always been told it's better to adopt a dog then buy one from a pet shop," she told her son, her smile brightening up the second she saw the happiness in her son's eyes.

"This isn't some kind of cruel joke is it?" Abel asked losing a bit of his excitement as that one thought occurred to him.

"No, this isn't a cruel joke," she assured her son. "Don't make me regret doing this for you. Whatever dog you pick out, he or she will be your responsibility, are we clear?" Zoe asked him.

"Of course," he responded, practically running to the door in pure excitement. Zoe smiled following after her son, by the time she was able to catch up to her son he was crouched down in front of a cage. Zoe smiled seeing the yellow lab pup wagging her tail and licking her son's fingers. She could only assume it was a girl with the name Holly on the cage door.

"Did you even look at the rest?" Zoe asked amused. She was letting Abel pick the dog since it would be his; she was just wishing he would've picked a little dog.

"Yes," he replied. "So can we?" He asked. Out of all the dogs in the cages around him he had fallen for this one. She was the dog he wanted. She was cute and really adorable. He wanted a young dog so that the dog would be able to grow with him.

"If you're certain that this is the dog you want. There's no changing your mind later down the line," she told him. She didn't want him to think that it would be okay to get this dog only to bring her back when he realizes that he no longer wanted her.

"I'm certain; I know my responsibilities when it comes to Holly, please?" He pleaded with her.

She was finding it hard to say no to him. She hadn't seen him this excited since he was a little boy and she got him the toy he had wanted for 4 months. "Okay, let's go find someone that can help us get Holly adopted," she told him.

About 15 minutes later they walked out with Holly. Abel had gotten her a light blue collar with a little jeweled paw hanging off it and a leash to match; he didn't want anything that was going to be too girly. He was beyond happy with his new dog.

"I know Holly's a gift, not for anything in general but thank you for this," he sincerely told her once they were on the road.

"As a parent when you're happy, I'm happy," she started to say. "You've wanted a dog since you were little and now that we live in a place where you can have a dog, I don't see the harm in it, just don't let the other dogs suffer because you have Holly now," she warned him.

"I won't," he promised. "Do you think Wade or even Dad will help me train Holly to be a hunting dog?" He asked. He wanted something that he could bond with them over and they had promised to tech him how to fish and hunt.

"You know I think they both will," Zoe replied with. She was positive Wade would enjoy that and Jesse would use any excuse to spend time with Abel. "You can ask them once we get home."

A few minutes later Zoe parked at a pet store. It would've been ideal to stop before getting Holly, but she didn't know what kind of dog Abel was going to pick out so it was best she wait until after they had the dog.

Abel was determined to buy everything he needed for his dig with his own money. He may have gone a bit overboard with toys and treats, but he didn't care, he wanted Holly to be spoiled. With everything paid for they headed home.

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"Ya know it's a good thing that neither one of those dogs can reproduce," Wade smirked, entering the house. In order to get into the house, he had to walk around a sleeping Hobs and sleeping Holly that was curled up too the older one. Abel had brought Holly over for Wade to see and she had taken quite the liking to Hobs. The older dog didn't seem to mind the hyper pup trying to play with his tail and paws.

"Aren't we lucky," Zoe smiled walking downstairs. She really was happy that both of them were fixed, she didn't think she could handle Holly having puppies. "I promised that I would look after Holly while Abel is at Earl's since he couldn't take her with him and with seeing as they've become joined at the hip, I think since we're leaving Holly by herself that it would be best if Hobs stayed here with her," Zoe quickly explained.

"It's cute that you're arranging play dates for our dogs," Wade smirked, pulling Zoe close. "But you've already got me," he whispered out, his lips descending upon hers. "But I agree," he stated, breaking the kiss.

"We should go, or we won't make it at all," Zoe told him, trying to regain her breathing. She didn't want to go, but she knew at some point she would have to do this and Jesse seemed to be serious with his girlfriend if he was willing to do this. She just hoped that things would go okay and nothing bad would happen tonight. "Where are we meeting him?" She asked, breaking away from Wade and get the rest of her things.

"His house, he's cooking," Wade replied ushering the dogs into the house. "Can we trust his cooking?" Wade asked, turning to look at Zoe.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she laughed softly. "He never cooked for me," she retorted.

"If it's bad, we'll stop somewhere and get a bite to eat on the extra long drive home," he smiled, opening the door seeing that she was ready to go.

The ride to Jesse's was a quiet one. Zoe was quiet because she didn't know what she would be walking in on. And Wade well he didn't know what was going to happen. Things seemed to be good between him and Jesse but he feared that something was bound to happen at some point.

They were amazed when they walked in and it had actually smelt really good in his place. Jesse got them something to drink. Wade and Zoe sat next to each other on the couch, sitting as close as they could. For the first couple of minutes things seemed to be really awkward between the four of them.

"You got Abel a dog?" Jesse questioned, needing to say something. He smiled hearing his son's happiness at getting a dog, he was however disappointed that Zoe hadn't told him or clued him in on that little fact.

"Yes," Zoe nodded. "He's been bugging me since he was little and it was time," she told him.

"So you're saying that I could run out and get him whatever he wants?" Jesse asked his tone a much rougher one.

"What's your deal?" Wade asked, not understanding what was going on with his brother.

"You went out and got Abel a dog and you didn't think you should call me and maybe run the idea by me? He does spend time here with me, Zoe, it would've been nice to know," he retorted.

"I didn't think I had to run it past you Jesse. His home is with me and not here," Zoe told him.

"It was a simple mistake," Wade said, seeing that he had to step in and help make peace between his girlfriend and brother, now he was seeing why it never worked out with them and that made him happy to know. "Jesse you're still trying to find your place in their lives and Zoe is still trying to figure out where you belong in it. She's raised Abel by herself for so long that even though you're here now, it's hard to remember that you should get a say in things," Wade told them. Even for a second he really didn't believe that Jesse should have a say in whether or not Zoe got Abel a dog that choice was up to her.

"Can we discuss this later?" Zoe asked. "Tonight isn't about us fighting Jesse, we're here to have a lovely night," she said calmly turning her attention to Aislin. "What is it you do? How did you two meet?" Zoe asked.

"Nothing fun, I just sit behind a computer all day," Aislin replied. "Through Abel actually," she told them. That got confusing looks from Wade and Zoe so Aislin explained it to them. "How'd you guys meet?" She asked turning the attention back onto them.

"Yeah this should be good," Jesse remarked.

"We're neighbors so there's that and Abel came over my first night there after he spotted my dog and wanted to know if he could walk my dog like he does with the other dogs in the neighborhood," Wade explained, squeezing Zoe's hand softly.

"Then Abel invited him over for dinner without telling me first and the rest is history really," Zoe replied.

"Ya know I realize know that if it wouldn't have been for Abel that night, it would have been my Dad getting us together," Wade laughed.

"He would've made reasons on why he had to stay at the hospital if it meant he was getting us together," Zoe laughed. "So things are going good with you two?" She asked turning her attention back to Jesse and Aislin.

"They really are," Jesse replied with a smile.

Before anyone could say anything more Zoe's phone started to ring. She frowned seeing that it was the hospital calling her. "Hello?" She answered, trying to figure out why her work was calling her on her night off.

"Zoe," Catherine said. "It's Abel."

"What about him?" Zoe asked in a panic, squeezing Wade's hand.

"It's best if you come down here and we'll explain everything when you get here, okay?" Catherine asked her.

"I'll be right there," Zoe replied, hanging up the phone. She turned to look at Wade. "Abel's in the hospital and I have no idea what's going on, they won't tell me until I get there," she quickly explained to him.

"Okay, we'll get there and Abel is going to be fine," Wade assured her getting up. "Sorry that we can't stay," Wade told them, leading Zoe out of Jesse's.

"We'll be right behind you guys," Jesse told them. There was no way that he wouldn't be at the hospital. He had to make sure that his son was going to be okay.

Zoe sat wrapped in Wade's arms while Jesse and Aislin sat nearby remaining quiet. When they got to the hospital Zoe had to sign some papers for Abel. Now they were just waiting on hearing how he was doing. Catherine had told them Abel had only sustained a broken leg, but it was sever enough to where they had to go in and place some pins in his leg. No one was even telling Zoe how it had happened and since she couldn't talk to Abel it meant she had to wait, but she didn't care how it happened as long he was going to be alright.

It was nearly a lifetime later when Zoe was allowed to go in and see Abel. Seeing him lying on the bed his left leg in a cast and wires hooked up to him, made Zoe break down.

"Mom, I'm okay," Abel assured her. Zoe shook her head and rushed over to her son's bed and hugged him tight.

"Care to explain why you weren't with your grandpa?" Zoe asked him, sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"I was getting something to eat, I told Grandpa I'd be back in a few minutes, and he knew where I was going," Abel argued back. "It was an accident really, I tripped and landed wrong on my leg, it was a hard long fall," Abel told her.

"Nice try, but not likely, now what really happened?" Zoe asked him.

"So maybe it was that I jumped instead of being tripped," Abel sighed. "I was going to get something to eat but a few of my friends were at the park, I went to say hello and I was going to be on my way again, some how they talked me into jumping off the top of the jungle gym, I jumped and instead of landing in the gravel they have I landed on the paved walk way wrong and busted my leg up really bad, I swear that's what happened, Mom," Abel told honestly. Zoe nodded her head. She'd take that story; she was too drained to argue with him.

"Okay, I'm going to send your dad in for a few minutes," Zoe informed him, she got up kissing his forehead and leaving the room. She had really thought that moving from New York would be a good thing, turns out trouble just liked to follow her son around.


	28. Chapter 28

**This chapter has been planned since early last week. But Abel breaking his leg threw a wrench into my plans and I had to work around that. I know the ending to this chapter is a cliche but I like it and I hope you guys like it and enjoy!**

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A week had went by and Zoe still had yet to go talk to Jesse about the way he had acted over her getting Abel a dog. The more time she had to think about it the more pissed off she got with Jesse for thinking that he called the shots but on some level she understood where he was coming from and it was that part of her that knew she had to go over and have a reasonable conversation with him.

Abel was doing as well as he could with a broken leg. The stairs had gotten to be a bit much for him so Wade and Jesse got Abel set up in the room downstairs until his leg was healed enough that stairs didn't seem like he was climbing to the top of Mount Everest. Abel hated calling up everyone he walked the dogs for but he had to tell them what happened and that it would be a while before he could come around and walk them. They weren't upset with him very apologetic and told him to rest up and get better and they'd see him when he was able to return to walking the dogs. He was pleased that they were okay with the unfortunate situation they had been tossed into.

"How is Abel?" Earl asked Zoe when she came to check up on him.

"He's doing well," Zoe replied. "I know you feel horrible for the events that happened, but it wasn't your fault, Earl. Kids do stupid things," she told him with a sigh. "Don't you dare think I blame you for his doing," she scolded him.

"I know this," Earl chuckled, getting Zoe to laugh. "I feel bad for him but I don't feel guilty, I know I don't control what Abel does and now maybe he's learned his lesson not to jump off of things. I just hate that he did it on my watch," Earl stated, shaking his head.

"Nothing you could've done, this isn't the first time he's broken a bone," Zoe told him.

"You're telling my son has broken bones before and I was never told?" Jesse asked walking into the room.

"It was hard to tell you when you weren't around," Zoe snapped at him getting up. "Earl, I'll see you later, everything is good," she smiled, giving the older man a hug. She had to leave before she had a full fledged fight with Jesse about Abel.

Not that removing herself from that situation worked as Jesse followed after her. "Are you really going to ignore me?" Jesse asked, stepping in front of Zoe not giving her the chance to get into her car.

"Are you really going to question what I get my son?" She countered back with.

"Our son," he reminded her getting pissed off.

"Not until lately and I like that you've stepped up and that you're being the dad he's always deserved to have but you can't question what I get him or what's happened in the past, Jesse. You left no impression that you wanted to know things about Abel when you weren't there, I tried and you acted like you didn't care so I just gave up," Zoe sighed. "Maybe I should have talked to you about getting Abel a dog because you are his parent as well and for that I'm sorry," she told him.

"I'm sorry too," Jesse sighed running a hand through his hair. "I may have gotten jealous and upset. It was stupid, of course you didn't need my permission to get him a dog, a dog he's wanted since he was a little boy," Jesse said. "But we do need to communicate a little better when it comes to things to do with Abel, I can't prove to you guys if you're not willing to include me into things when it comes to our son, Zoe," Jesse told her softly.

"I know," Zoe replied. "I really will work on it but you have to understand that just like this is new to you, it's new to me as well. For so long it was just the two of us and I didn't have to run things by anyone else but you can't get mad every time I forget to talk to you about the important things in his life either, we need to sit down and have a civilized talks about it, not blow up at each other. Tell Aislin I'm sorry for the way I acted and it would be nice to have an actually dinner with her where things didn't get strained or where Abel gets hurt," Zoe told him.

"You're right, these things take time and we need to be the adults we are, we've already proven we can be those people. I'll let her know and see when things can happen again," he told her.

Zoe nodded and got into her car when Jesse walked back inside to visit with Earl. Taking a deep breath she told herself that she could do this, that she could co-parent with Jesse and at times they weren't going to see eye to eye on things and that was okay as long as they were able to work things out and come to some kind of a compromise.

After that things calmed down leaving the last two weeks of January and the first part of February in peace. Abel was getting around better on his crutches. Zoe was able to find a way to let Jesse in her life where the guard she kept up when it came to him went down, she realized it was the only way. She had to give Jesse a fresh start, she couldn't keep holding the past over him it wasn't fair to him. She actually got along with Aislin as it really seemed like Jesse was going to be keeping her around for quite sometime to come and Zoe couldn't have been any happier for Jesse. At the same time her and Wade were getting closer together in their relationship and it was great. Fights were kept to a minimum with them but they were something they couldn't avoid.

"I can assure you nothing is going to happen while you are out with Wade," Abel assured his mom. "I can't exactly do anything with Rose, my leg is in a cast," he pointed out. Rose had showed up that morning and they had spent the day watching movies. They were going to order some take out and enjoy the few hours they had left before Rose had to go home since it was a school night. It wasn't the most romantic date to have on Valentine's Day but it was the best he could with his broken leg and Rose hadn't minded at all.

"Okay if you need anything at all, call me," Zoe told her son.

"I will now go," Abel told his mom. As fun as it was to have a broken leg and to have people do things for him, he was so over it. He was mom took to babying him at times and it got on his last nerve. He wanted to have a few minutes of peace from her. He couldn't even hide at his dad's place because he was the same way. He would try to hide at Wade's but his mom would be there too. If he could help it he didn't have any plans of breaking any more bones until he moved out of the house. "Oh hey Wade's here, you can't be late," Abel told his mom.

"Be good," she told him, walking to the door. With his mom gone he hobbled back to the living room.

"This is where we had our first date," Zoe smiled looking over the menu in her hand. Wade nodded with a smile on his face as looked over the menu. Tonight was going to be special for Zoe. He had been planning this night out for some time now.

They talked about little things as they ate, easier to keep the conversation on the lighter side of things. Not that they were going to start a fight over dinner. The closer dinner was coming to end the more nervous he was getting.

"Here," Wade said, sliding the little box across the table for Zoe. She looked at him taking the box.

"You didn't have to Wade, I wasn't expecting anything," she told him. "I didn't even get you anything," she told him looking down feeling bad about that fact.

"Hey now, I don't mind, I'm here with you and that's enough of a gift for me, Zo," he told her, getting her to look at him with a smile on her face. "Besides I know you'll make up for it after dinner," he smirked; leaving her cheeks a dark red color. Taking on a softer tone, he told her, "I did have to, Zo. Go on and open it," he urged her.

With a smile on her face she slipped the red bow from the box and pulled the top off. "Wade," she gasped, fingering the white gold chain. Her eyes got a little misty seeing the heart charm. "It's beautiful," she whispered. Wade was right there to catch her tears with his thumb. Taking the bracelet from his girlfriend he placed it around her wrist.

"I love you, Zoe," he told her softly, his thumb drawing small circles on her wrist, his left hand going up to cup her face.

"I love you too, Wade," she whispered, bringing her free hand up to cup his face.

That was all Wade needed to hear, a grin breaking out on his face, he drew near her lips to give Zoe a kiss filled with all the love he felt for her, Zoe returning all that love in her kiss to him.


	29. Chapter 29

**I'm trying to get this story wrapped up. I've had so much fun writing it and I don't want to see it end, but I feel like it's time to start getting this one wrapped up so it's going to be the story I work on the most. I'm going to go back through and see what I need to patch up in the next few chapters and at this point I'm not really sure how many chapters remain. If there is anything that you need cleared up or want to see before it's finished please let me know and I can get it added in. I do have a few more things planned with Zoe/Wade, Zoe/Jesse, Wade/Jesse, Wade/Abel and Abel/Jesse and Earl will be tossed back into the mix too. Enjoy!**

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Things had only gotten better for everyone over the last 6 months. Abel's leg had healed nicely during that time and he was really enjoying the fact he had the use of his leg again. He was more than happy that now he was going to be able to actually drive since that had been a major set back with him having a broken leg. They hadn't done anything special for his birthday and that was what he wanted, just a night with his parents because that was the one thing he had wanted since he was a little boy, to have a birthday where both his parents were present. Wade and Earl were there too and even though it was just them, it was the best birthday he ever had. When it came to him driving he already knew that as much as his mom wanted to be the one to teach him everything behind the wheel, that it was safer to do so with either his dad or Wade. He had drove once or twice with his mom before he broke his leg and having her a nervous wreck beside him didn't help him out, he did really well and no one got hurt and he didn't crash, but she didn't exactly help him to remain calm.

"Are you all packed?" Wade asked, stepping into Abel's room, needing a moment away from his girlfriend. "Your mom is freaking out," he informed him, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"I'm ready whenever you two are ready," Abel laughed knowing just how crazy his mom got in times like this. And for once he was happy that he didn't have to deal with her crazy when it came to making sure she had everything packed away and that they weren't forgetting anything around the house or forgetting to pack anything they needed to have. He had taken Holly over to his dad earlier in the morning along with Hobs, Jesse wasn't excited about watching not only Holly but Hobs as well, but he took them in, it was the least he could for his family and besides it was only going to be for a few days and he would be able to handle that. He liked Holly, he had spent a few days with her when Abel would come over and stay with him and he grew attached to the little puppy that was growing like crazy over the last 6 months. Abel had even contacted everyone he walked the dogs for and told them he would be away and once he got back he'd be more than happy to take the dogs out.

Wade nodded his head and headed back to where his girlfriend was at. Since Abel had a broken leg they hadn't made it back to New York when they had decided to go so Zoe held out on going until the end of the summer. They were going to be spending 4 days in the city and Wade decided the closer the end of August got that he was going with them and worked everything out so he could have the time off of work.

"That should be everything," Zoe said, checking her bags one more time. "Is he ready?" She asked glancing up at her boyfriend.

"Yep," Wade replied. "Baby, if we happen to forget anything we can easily go out and buy it while we're in New York, you need to relax, we've got everything we need," he told her, walking over to flip her suitcase shut.

Zoe took a deep breath. She knew she was getting on their nerves because she had been getting on her nerves when it came to packing for their trip to New York, but she couldn't help it, it just came out and she had no clue on how to shut that part of her off. "You're right, but it's there and I'm paranoid that we're forgetting something," she told him with a sigh.

"I promise you we haven't forgotten to pack anything, but the longer we stand here going through everything in the suitcases we will miss our flight and we don't want that do we?" He questioned. Zoe shook her head.

"No we don't," she concurred. "Let's go," she told him, walking out of the room. Wade laughed under his breath, taking her bags and following after them. His things were already in the car. "Abel, come on," she said, passing by her son's room.

Abel grabbed his one suitcase, not needing nearly as much as his mom did for this little trip. He shared a look with Wade and tried really hard not to laugh with the look Wade was giving him, but he couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped his lips. "Welcome to my world," he remarked, walking down the stairs. "We both know she's a bit crazy at times, but that is why we love her," he told Wade when his mom wasn't in ear shot of them.

It was Wade's turn to let a low chuckle out. "You're right about that," he agreed, walking to the front door. "Zoe, if you don't hurry up we're going to be miss the flight," he yelled.

Zoe rolled her eyes walking from the kitchen. "I was making sure the back door is locked," she informed them, grabbing her purse that was on the stand next to the front door.

Wade ushered them into the car once they were outside and the front door was locked. Zoe was giving Abel a run down making sure he turned everything off in his room. More than once he had told Zoe that no he didn't turn his light off and no he didn't turn off anything in his room. Zoe glared at him, before she demanded that Wade turn the car around so they could go back and turn them off. Wade wouldn't give in and Zoe had threatened to call Jesse, she had given him a key so he could check on the house and bring the mail in for them and get whatever he needed for either dog. Abel couldn't take it anymore and he broke down telling her that he turned everything off. Zoe rolled her eyes at her son's joke, but she instantly relaxed when Wade's warm palm was on her upper thigh, her fingers encasing his.

* * *

They stopped by the hotel that Wade and Zoe would be staying at before going to see Candice. Abel wanted to spend his days with his grandma and opted out of staying at the hotel. Zoe had made sure it was what Abel wanted and he assured his mom that he really wanted to spend some extra time with his grandma and that he wanted to give his mom sometime to show Wade around the city, that was one tour that he didn't need to take and the less time he spent out on the streets it meant he had very little chances of running into anyone that he may know.

Leaving the hotel they walked the few blocks Abel showing Wade a few of his favorite spots. The spots he had hang out at with people he realized now weren't the friends he wanted to have in his life, but the memories he made at the places he was showing Wade were good ones and it did bring a smile to his face. They passed a little park and Abel laughed at the memory of his mom teaching him how to ride a bike without training wheels for the very first time and how after he skinned his knee up which his mom bandaged up for him they sat under a tree and had a picnic. They walk to Candice's place was one filled with laughs as Abel told stories from his time there with Zoe adding bits and pieces to the story.

"I know the very last thing you three want to do is go out to eat, but I thought it would be nice if we headed over to _Per Se_ ," Candice told them after they had been there for a few minutes giving Abel the time to get his bag put in his room that his grandma left for him.

As tired as the three of them were, they decided not to fight Candice on the plans for dinner and just go with it. They still had a few hours before they had to head out for dinner. And they sat around and talked to Candice and they all got caught up with each other's lives. Laughs had been shared and Candice shared her amusement that Jesse was still around and doing the best she had ever seen from him. She was pleased that he was stepping up the way she knew he had in him when she had met him years ago. But as she watched Wade and Zoe together she knew that Jesse only played a small part in her daughter's life and that it wasn't supposed to last.

 _Per se_ was Zoe and Abel's favorite restaurant in the city, it held plenty of special memories for the both of them. For Wade it was a bit on the fancy side of things but he wasn't about to ditch and make things weird for him and Zoe. He could deal with it for a night.

They were well into their meal when someone approached the table, making Zoe smile as she got up to hug the man. Wade noticed the wedding band on his left hand so the jealous monster never had the chance to rear its ugly head. Shaking the guys hand he learned that it was Zoe's old boss.

"It's not the same without you Zoe," he told her. Zoe smiled lightly. "Could there be a way to persuade you in coming back to the city to work for us?" He asked a bit of humor in his voice covering up the hope he had.

"As lovely as it would be to back here in the city and working for you," Zoe started to say, unknowing to her getting Wade's heart to drop to the bottom of his stomach at her words. "I can't do that. New York will always hold a special place in my heart but Mobile is home now, everything and everyone I need other than my mom, is there and I can't give them up," she told her former boss. "I'm sorry."

Wade closed his eyes for a second his worry turning into happiness his heart beating loudly in his own ears. He had nothing to worry about. Zoe had given New York up for Abel but apart of him had thought that after Abel went away to college that she'd move back here but he was wrong and for once he was really happy to be wrong about something. He had faith that Zoe wouldn't just up and leave him but that thought whether he wanted it or not it was there in the back of his mind and maybe now it would remain quiet.

After dinner they had went their own ways, Zoe hugging Abel and reminding him to behave for his grandma. Abel rolled his eyes and said he would be. Satisfied with his answer Zoe let them go, wrapping her arms around Wade as they started to walk in the direction that the hotel was located in.

"You should've told me that you had this worry," Zoe stated a few blocks into their walk.

"Worries about?" Wade questioned, bringing Zoe closer to him.

"You tell me, I saw that look on your face when you thought I was going to take my old job back. Talk to me," she pleaded with him.

"You've never given me a reason to think that you'd come back to the city, but I guess the way I feel about Bluebell being home and that once Earl is good to go home, I'm going back to Bluebell to live and I just thought that if I feel that strongly about my hometown that you feel the same way about the city here," he explained motioning with free hand to place around them.

"In a way I do feel like that, New York is always going to be home to me but that's not where I want to lay my roots at, Mobile feels more like home to me than New York ever has. I wouldn't just leave unless I had a good reason to. But I like where I'm at right now, Wade. I like being with you and I'm not going to ruin that by running back to New York. Everything I need and want is in Mobile, I'd be an idiot to leave that." She couldn't find any faults in Wade having that worry; she had no reason to be mad at him. She was going to do everything in her power to assure him that she wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll have to make sure that you don't have a good reason to move away," he smirked, hailing a cab wanting to get back to their hotel room sooner rather than later so he could show her one of the many reasons to stay right where she was at, in his arms for the foreseeable future.


	30. Chapter 30

**I'm sorry for any mistakes you may find in this chapter, but it was done on my phone as I'm having a bit of bad luck with my computer. I thought it had crashed this morning but the fan blew out, so I can't be on it and in order to update my stories I'll be doing it via my phone for a while.**

 **I would also like to note that the time jump over the 6 months was needed. I had nothing planned for the time skipped over and I had planned doing more with the Valentines date with Wade and Zoe, but I was at loss on what to do, but maybe it'll pop up in a flashback before the story ends.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

With his mom off with Wade which was okay with him because he had missed spending time with his grandma but now he was left alone for a couple hours because she had to run into the office real quick. He had been okay with it because it was her work and he didn't want her to get fired for not coming in. He also thought that having some time to himself would be fine but the longer he stayed in his grandma's place the more each second dragged on. Having enough of being alone growing bored with everything around him, he took the extra set of keys and set out to find the one person in the city he could actually call a friend. Decker had always been there to take him in and give him a hand when he needed it the most. Had his back no questions asked and repeatedly asked him why he was wasting his life away. Decker wanted more in life for Abel.

"Look who came back." Hearing that voice Abel turned around a smile creeping onto his face.

"Just the guy I was looking for," Abel laughed, giving him a manly hug. "I'm only here for a few days, thought I'd come see you," he explained a little more as they continued to walk.

"You're not looking for the rest are ya?" The guy questioned. Abel shook his head.

"I'm not interested in them or what they're up to, what they have, none of it. I've cleaned up my act and I've got a relationship with my mom that I'm proud to have. I'm not about to mess up the trust she has in me. I owe you a lot, Deck. I can't even begin to think where I'd be if it wasn't for you. Thank you for everything," Abel told him with all the sincerity he had in him.

"You're welcome, but I did it because after a while you became like a little brother to me and I saw that you had this potential in you if you would just apply yourself. Life on the streets that's not who you are. I'm happy to hear that you've changed your life around and built a relationship with your mom," Decker told him genuinely happy for his friend.

"Not only my mom but my dad as well," Abel told him, shocking the older teen greatly.

"That's something, huh?" He asked. He could remember Abel going on about hating his dad, that he never wanted to see him again and that his dad didn't deserve his forgiveness.

"After leaving this place and seeing what I was doing to my mom and it just clicked and you told me that it takes more to hate someone than to forgive them. And I figured if my dad was trying then I should too and he's been around longer than anyone thought he would be and it's nice to have him there being my dad," Abel shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Good to know not everything I've told you was lost," Decker laughed. "Everything else is good?"

"Girlfriend, dog, family and a little job, yeah everything is good," Abel replied. "You?" He asked.

"I'm in college, idiots they are let me in," he laughed. "But yeah things are good, maybe not as good as things are for Mr. Responsibility here," he joked nudging Abel.

They were laughing after they had gotten hot dogs. It was good to have one friend in his life that he could really count on as a friend. It was easy to talk to Decker and he hadn't realized just how much he had missed him until now.

"Sorry to interrupt this little love fest, boys," a smirking Landen said coming to stand in front of them a few of the guys standing  
further back. "Didn't think we'd see you again, Abel. We could use your help."

"I'm not here to join in and help you guys. I'm here visiting my grandma for a few days before school starts, I want nothing from you," Abel told him. His afternoon had been going too good for his own good and he had been keeping an eye out for his old group of friends and just like that, here they were.

"You afraid you no longer got what it takes to be one of us?" Landen laughed.

"Just go," Decker said stepping up to Landen. He wasn't going to let Abel run off with people he didn't want to be with. He knew all too well that Abel would give in at some point and he wasn't going to allow it.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Landen sneered, shoving Decker.

And just like that a fight broke out. Decker and Abel had been able to hold their own for a few minutes before the numbers got to be a bit much. One fist, one knee, one foot, that was all it took to get Abel to the ground.

The cops got involved getting everyone separated. That's how Abel found himself sitting along side of Decker, Landen and a few other guys at the police station. They had bandaged him up the best they could to get the bleeding to stop until his mom could show up. He has already told them his  
side of the story.

"I didn't think I'd see you in here ever again, Abel," Officer Marjory said. Abel said nothing and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't think he'd ever be back in seeing these walls either. "Your mom will be here in a few minutes." He nodded his head, his eyes closing and leaned back in his chair to wait.

Waiting to find out what his mom was going to do was the worst part. He was going to be in trouble, he was sitting in the police station his mom had picked him up from this very one too many times to count now. The last thing he wanted to do when coming back here was to end up in the plastic  
chair he was sitting in.

"I assure you he won't be back here again and thank you." He didn't even have to see his mom to know she was there talking to the police officer. "The hospital is the first stop we make." His mom's voice was the only one he could make out.

"I can explain," he told her quickly getting to his feet, seeing her round the corner.

"The first thing we're going to be doing is going to the hospital to get that nasty cut on your head checked out and when we get back to your grandmother's place you can fill me in on the rest," Zoe told him leading him from the precinct.

At the hospital he got 4 stitches to fix the small gash on his forehead. With that taken care of they headed back to his grandma's, where he was assuming Wade was waiting for them at. Zoe sat on the front steps to the  
building, Abel sitting next to her.

"It wasn't my fault, this time it's the truth," he started out saying. "I was catching up with Decker; did you know he got into college?" He asked with a hint of amusement to his voice. "You always liked Decker," he tried not getting anything from her.

"I know you didn't start it, that it was them and I can't punish you for that. This whole trip it makes me realize that moving was the right to do," she told him. "Decker and college, you sure he got in?" Zoe joked.

"He's never lied before so I doubt he'd start now. He is smart if you get past how stupid he wants people to believe he is," Abel told her. "I've learned the same thing. We both may have been born in the city that surrounds us but that's all it is, it's not home, it doesn't have that homey feel Mobile has. I'm happy we moved," he told her.

Zoe smiled, hugging him. "We should get in there before your grandma sends Wade out to look for us and I really don't want to wander the streets looking for him."

"Me either," Abel laughed getting up.

Whatever the current conversation was it had been dropped when they entered the place. Zoe and Abel shared a look bursting out in laughter.

"I'm really pleased that you two find this whole thing funny," Candice hissed.

"Abel is fine, just a victim is all," Zoe told them once her laughter subsided.

"Did you press charges?" Candice asked, looking at her grandson.

Abel shook his head. "There was no point to press charges. I'm fine and moving past this whole mess is best." He really didn't see the point in pressing charges and dragging this whole thing out for nothing.

"I was thinking that for charades I'd be on Abel's team," Wade announced changing the topic into a more friendly territory.

"You're on," Zoe smirked.

They settled in to play games and enjoy their evening together as the little family they seemed to be.


	31. Chapter 31

**It was a major struggle to come up with anything for this chapter. I hope it's not as bad as I think it is. I do have the last few chapter planned out, with one small thing that I just don't know what to do with so I'll ask you guys.**

 **Do you want to see Zoe living in Mobile or Bluebell when the story ends? I can make it work either way, but I keep going going back and forth and seconding guess the choice I make only to change it once more and it only repeats. Thoughts about that?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

As fun as the city was they were all happy to be home in Mobile. They had stopped off at Jesse's to collect the dogs as Abel filled his father in on their trip to New York. Jesse had his concerns about this little fight his son was involved in but they had convinced him that it was nothing and that he wouldn't be seeing them again and it was easier to leave it alone. Jesse got that and he let it go. Before letting them leave he set up a time for them to hang out over the weekend because he had missed spending time with his son, it was a strange feeling to have for him, but a feeling he liked nonetheless.

Zoe and Abel tagged along with Wade to Bluebell. Abel went to see Rose and Zoe went because she liked the little town. What she thought would never happen for plenty of reasons was for Dr. Breeland to need her help with anything, but with the practice needing a doctor because he was sick and couldn't leave his bed he needed to break down and see if Zoe wouldn't mind giving him a hand since she was in town, that had been the rumor he heard. Zoe hadn't minded one bit.

"I'm surprised Dr. Breeland let you in here," Dash told her with a friendly chuckle.

"We're all filled with surprises, Dash," Zoe replied with a smile, but she had felt just the same. "We can't have a sick Doctor looking at sick and injured patients. And I don't mind, Abel's off with Rose, Holly and Hobs and Wade's at the Rammer Jammer," she filled him in. "I've actually missed this," she smiled.

"But you have to admit it's not the same as being in any of those fancy hospitals," he smiled at her.

She returned his smile. "You know you're right, it's not but I still like it," she retorted, sending him on his way.

With the practice now empty of any patients she sat at the desk in the office Brick had let her use. Looking around the little office she smiled to herself. She could really picture herself working there one day, just not for the time being, she really enjoyed her own job at the moment.

"I wasn't sure anyone was in," Wade chuckled entering the office. Zoe's smile brightened seeing him. "Where's Addy?"

"She went to check up on Brick," Zoe told him. "Did you come here for a reason?" She questioned him, noticing the way he held his arm.

"Burnt myself in the kitchen," he told her sheepishly, holding his arm out for her to see.

"You don't say," she smirked, leading him to the medical room. "Here I thought you were so much better in the kitchen than I was, turns out that's a lie," she gasped.

"Mock all you want, Doc," he told her holding his own smile back, "but can you patch me up so I can get back to work?" He asked a playfulness in his eyes.

"You best believe I'll mock, wait until Abel hears," Zoe told him, getting what she would need to place on his burn. "Care to explain how this happened?" She asked, taking his arm in her hands, being extra careful not hurt him any further.

"I'd rather not," he told her softly, with a light blush at his own stupidity. She was already having fun with him burning himself on the stove in the kitchen at the Rammer Jammer, he really didn't want to give her anymore ammunition to use. The puppy eyes and the pout he found rather adorable, left him feeling his own resolve slip away. "I was talking to Shelley in the kitchen, I went to rest my arm on the counter distracted enough as it was that instead of the counter, I was near the stove. Are you happy now," he said through clinched teeth, no anger in his voice so Zoe knew that he wasn't really mad about explaining it to her.

"Why would I be happy? My boyfriend has a burn on his arm the size of Texas," she retorted, carefully wrapping his arm up. "I'll be over later tonight to check it for you," she winked, tossing things in the trash.

"House call, sexy," he smirked. "But I don't get a little kiss now?" He questioned with humor in his tone. "It does still sting.

Rolling her eyes and a small laugh, she kissed his arm careful not to push too hard on the bandage. "Better?" She asked him.

"Much better," he replied, pulling her close to drop a sweet kiss to her lips. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your lunch," he smiled against her lips. A smile she gladly returned. Working at the practice in such a small town sure did have it's perks.

* * *

Abel and Rose found a quiet little spot where the dogs could roam freely around without needing to be on a leash, even if it was Rose's backyard. He had just finished telling Rose about his time in New York as he hadn't been able to call her while he was away and she hadn't really minded.

"What are we going to do with you?" She asked, brushing her fingers over his knuckles that were resting in her lap. "Seems wherever you go, trouble finds you."

"It doesn't always follow me," he replied jumping straight to the defensive. "Going back there," he sighed, his eyes landing on Holly as she slept peacefully in the sun. "I knew something like that was going to happen. Avoiding them the whole time wouldn't have happened. The city is huge but they know enough of the same people that I do, that it would have been a matter of time, before they found me."

"I guess I get that," she told him. "But as much as you try not to be this bad boy, you really are one no matter how much you try and change."

"But I'm really not," he told her laughing. "Are you like I don't know having second thoughts about breaking up with me?" He questioned then, his body going numb at that very idea.

"No," she told him. "You want to be good and you try so hard to get rid of that reputation that you built up in New York, but it's going to be apart of you, Abel and the most you can do is embrace that and learn from it, then maybe you'll truly shed this image you no longer want to have," she told him, explaining her thoughts a bit better for him.

"Stop trying, huh?" He asked with a laugh.

"No I don't mean that either," she told him, with a nudge. "Just be the you that makes you happy," she finally settled on.

"Now that is something that I can do," he smiled, moving to place his arm around her.

"You don't want to break up with me do you?" She asked him. It was silly to ask with the way he was holding her, but it was out there because it was on her mind and not going anywhere the second the words had left his mouth about her breaking up with him.

"That would be by far the most stupidest thing that I could ever do," he told her seriously. "I like you a lot Rose and I know that things are going to change between us and we can't stop that from happening and I don't know what's going to happen with us, but right now, I want to be with you, the rest we'll fill those blanks in as they came up," he told her. They were teens and their relationship might not last and he wasn't expecting it to withstand the test of time, he wasn't looking at Rose like she was going to be his wife in the future, too much shit could happen but he was content and happy with the way things were between the two of them now that it would be stupid to give that happy feeling up. There was going to be things that they couldn't avoid but again he'd focus on that when it came up for them. For now, this was all he needed. Someone in his life that could make the worst day better with a simple smile or a small hello.

"I feel the same way about you," she told him, snuggling closer to his side.


	32. Chapter 32

**Concerning the questions the guest reviewer left, here's the answers to those questions.**

 **Wade owns the Rammer Jammer, that's why he was working there you can find this in Chapter 5. And he moved to Mobile to be closer to Earl and yes he is working at a bar in Mobile as well. Yes they were just in Bluebell for the day and even though I didn't write Zoe each time she's been to Bluebell for each time Abel needed to be there for play practice or any other time she may have went with Wade, she's been there a lot and I haven't written any scene's between Zoe and Brick but that doesn't mean they had never talked even if it's just been for a second.**

 **As the for the rest of the questions, I would love to answer them for you, but I can't do that, I don't want to give away the rest of the story, but what happens with Earl plays a big a role in things and since I haven't really decide on Mobile or Bluebell I'm not certain about Earl at this point either.**

 **I hope that clears things up for you and anyone else. This chapter even though planned this way, still didn't turn out the way I had it in my mind.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

With school starting up once more leaving Abel a Sophomore in high school, mother and son had to find a new routine, Abel the ever persistent 15-year-old convinced his mom to let his dad help teach him to drive saving her from the headache of it all. She didn't like it but she caved knowing that Abel wanted to include his father in with these experiences as well and that Jesse had found a place in their life that worked for all of them, she couldn't help but smile at the effort he was bringing to the table. Whatever had snapped in him to make him change for the better she was happy that it had happened.

Every morning she'd tell him to be careful and the days Jesse would show up to take him to school she would go over things with Jesse, things he knew but things she would continue to go over with him.

The first month and a half had been like this as they got back into the groove of things adding Jesse to the mix leaving it to be late October when Zoe had been approached by a few people at the hospital asking her if she wanted to go get drinks after their shifts were over with. She had told them she needed to make a few phone calls and she'd get back to them. They told her that was fine. She first called Jesse to make sure he was still keeping Abel this weekend. Jesse assured her that he was and that Abel would be home early enough on Sunday that the two of them could still spend a few hours together and get a dinner for Zoe's birthday. With that taken care of, she called Wade to see what was going on, but he never answered his phone. She left him a message telling him to call her when he got the message.

As the day went on, she never got a call from Wade. She tried a few more times and her calls each and every time went straight to voice mail. She knew the reasonable thing to do would be to go home and see what was going on with Wade but at the last second she decided to head out and have a few drinks with some colleagues and she'd head home to talk to Wade.

Except one drink kept turning into one more and before she knew it was closing time.

Zoe walked into her house, her eyes half closed from the late hour of the day, a giggle escaped her lips in her drunk state. Flipping the lights on in the kitchen she squinted waiting for her eyes to adjust. Seeing her kitchen table set for a dinner for two, dinner candles long burnt out and roses less than perky, she sobered up rather quickly.

She had inadvertently blown her boyfriend off for what? A hangover come morning? Rubbing her temples she looked over to his house, seeing that it was dark. She reasoned that she'd deal with it all tomorrow, not for the first time had she been thankful that Abel was over at Jesse's house for the weekend. Switching the lights off she made her way upstairs dreading that she'd actually have to wake up come morning.

Waking up her head pounded and her mouth was dry. With eyes half shut she walked to the bathroom to get a drink of water and to take something for her massive headache. Slowly she made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee.

Her eyes drifted to Wade's house through the window and for a moment she wondered if he was awake yet. With each passing second she knew she'd have to actually go over there and talk to him about last night. Her head pounding was evident enough of just how much she had messed up, but even checking her phone now, there was no missed calls from Wade or unread messages.

Pouring herself a cup of coffee her eyes traveled to the table that was still set from last night. Not wanting to deal with that quite yet, she took her cup of coffee and headed upstairs to start the water for her shower.

* * *

Wade had been up for hours not able to sleep. He had laid in bed for hours pleading with sleep to come back, but his pleas went unanswered with each passing second. A quarter to 6 he tossed his blankets off and padded to the bathroom to shower. He wanted his thoughts to stay off of Zoe but that was the place he couldn't keep his mind from going.

He had waited for hours for her to come home. He had planned a special dinner for the two of them since she had already told him that her birthday dinner would be spent with Abel a tradition that's been going on since Abel was only a baby. He respected that and made his own plans, except she never showed up.

* * *

 _Wade took a step back from the table a smile on his face. He fiddled with the present in his hands. Nervous about giving it to her. He hadn't planned on buying it, but when he walked past and saw it a smile came to his face as it had Zoe's name written all over it. So he bought it with the idea of her birthday in mind._

 _A glance at the clock told him that Zoe would be home within the next 10 minutes, he busied himself to have everything done and ready for when she walked through the door. He wanted the night to be one that she would remember for years to come._

 _He frowned after the first 20 minutes passed by. He knew there were days when she was late, so he didn't think much of it. But as more time ticked by the more worried he would get. Nearing the 2 hour mark he was picking Zoe's house phone up to call her. He had dropped his phone by accident breaking it and he wasn't able to go in and get it replaced yet. He had figured that he could make it a few days without a cell phone._

 _He leaned back against the counter as he dialed the number to connect him with Zoe. He was relieved to hear her voice on the other end, but by the time she had finished saying hello, he could tell that she was somewhere drinking._

 _He could've said a million different things, but he went with a simple, "Hey, Doc."_

" _Wade," she squealed, brightening up even more if possible at the fact her boyfriend was on the other end of the line. "You should come join us," she suggested._

" _I'll pass, but you have a good time, Zo," he settled on. He wanted to be certain that if he would've told her to come home, she would've done just that. But he held back and let her enjoy her time with whoever she was with._

 _He wasn't sure if after that the night could be saved, he thought it would be best to let the night go. Getting off the phone with Zoe, he walked right out the door, not sparing a glance at the night that had been ruined._

* * *

He was waiting for the second pot of coffee to brew when there was a light knock at the door. Taking a deep breath he walked the few steps to the door and pulled it open to reveal his girlfriend.

"Hi," she said meekly.

"Hey," he said gruffly, walking away from the door back to his spot in front of the coffee pot.

"I'm sorry," she told him, walking into his house shutting the door behind her. He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "For ruining last night. But I didn't know that you had anything planned, if I did, I would've been there," she told him.

"That's why it's called a surprise, Zoe," he told her roughly. "This relationship won't work if you don't call me and ya know give me some kind of a heads up that you're going to the bar with who the hell knows," he replied in an angry tone.

"Don't you dare, Wade," she hissed, her hands going to rest on her hips, her own anger coming out. "I called you multiple times yesterday, left messages and you never called me. You're at fault here too," she told him.

He felt a little like crap for that. "I don't have my phone, Zoe," he told her. "If you wanted to talk to me that badly you would've called my house phone," he tacked on.

"What happened to your phone?" She asked in a gentle tone. "That does go both ways you know? You could have called me," she told him.

"I did but you were already on your way to being drunk, the night was already ruined," he replied, pouring himself more coffee.

"We can do something today, I have all day," she told him. She didn't want to fight with him, she wanted to find a way to make this up to him.

"I've got things to do," he told her. "Maybe later," he said walking out of the house, his full cup of coffee sitting on the counter abandoned.

Zoe watched as he walked out of his house, leaving her standing in the middle of his kitchen, when an idea came to mind.

She spent her day in his kitchen making him a dinner that would actually turn out and when everything was cooked she was happy that she hadn't burnt anything. She didn't know when he was going to be back, but she still went home when all the appliances in his kitchen were turned off.

Dressed and ready to wait for him to return, she headed back to his house and set the table. She found little things to do as she waited. But as the hours passed she had a feeling that he wasn't going to show up. At 10 she called it a night and headed back home, refusing to let her tears out, not that it did any good.


	33. Chapter 33

Sunday morning Jesse walked into Zoe's living room to see a rather pathetic scene in front of him. There sat a red and puffy eyed Zoe curled up on the couch under a blanket playing with a key. He took a seat next to her, placing an arm around her, she leaned into him.

"It's your birthday and you can cry," he joked. At that she barely cracked a smile. "What happened?" He cared about Zoe, there would be a part of him that would always love her and seeing her this upset tugged on him. After all the stuff he had put her through it was nice to know that they were able to become friends; that they could be friends.

"Nothing," she mumbled, eyes locked on the key in her hand.

"Okay," he sighed with a frown. "What's with the key?" He questioned, taking a different approach.

"Wade left it, I found it when I was cleaning up the kitchen. I have no idea what it's for," she told him with a sigh. It wasn't for his place, he had already given them one with Abel needing in his house for Hobs, Wade had figured it would be easier then getting the spare key from the hiding spot and a bit safer if the spare key was at his girlfriend's house. "I would ask but we're not on speaking terms at the moment and the fact he didn't come home."

"That doesn't sound like nothing," he commented. "There was no note or nothing?" Zoe shook her head. "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do?" She questioned, closing her hand around the key. "I'm going to wait for him to come around. I went to him, apologized and he was the one to brush me off. I tried and now I guess it's up to him," she told him with a shrug. She had offered to make the night up to Wade, came up with a plan as well, he was the one that blew her off and she had no idea where he stayed last night because when she got up this morning he was still gone.

"He'll come around, Zo. My brother is being an idiot, but an idiot that loves you and if I've learned anything you are the one woman to fight for and he too will realize that," Jesse explained. Getting involved was the last thing he should be doing, but Zoe not only the mother of his son, but a friend to him, he felt that he should be doing something to help them make up. After the countless times he was positive he left her in tears, this was one way to make it all up to her for being a total jackass to her over the years. She deserved to be happy and hard as it was to admit it Wade made her happier than he ever could. He thinks it's the happiest anyone would ever be able to make her.

"I guess we'll see," she replied. "Abel was good?"

"Yeah, we had fun. He did his homework which I didn't understand a word of," Jesse chuckled. "Happy birthday, Zoe," he replied, kissing her head in a friendly way.

"Thanks, Jesse. You leaving?"

"Yeah, I've got a few things to handle," he replied. The first one being his little brother.

Zoe listened to him walk away and her kitchen door shut with a gentle thud. Static filled her ears as the quietness settled back over her. Looking at her hands she slowly released the hold she had on the key that was biting into her palm. That one little key made her mind a mess of confusion.

"Hey, Mom, I've made reservations for us at 6," Abel said, coming downstairs. "And it's my treat, I've got money saved up," he informed her coming to stop at the bottom of the stairs. "You okay?" He questioned with a voice wavering between scared and worried.

"I'll be fine," she told him with a smile. "You sure you can afford it? I don't mind paying the bill for dinner, Abel." Smiling around Abel was easy to do. Paying for the meal was fine with her because she got to spend a night with her son, and she knew soon enough she wouldn't get to do this with him.

"I've got it covered and you shouldn't pay, this is your birthday dinner," he replied rolling his eyes. "You've paid in years past because I didn't have a job or enough money saved up, this year is different," he stated, moving to sit on the arm of the couch. "You sure everything is okay?"

"Nothing you need to worry about right now. Just a little something between Wade and myself," she told him. "Now are you going to tell me the name of this restaurant?" She asked with a smirk. Abel laughed, shaking his head muttering yeah right as he headed back upstairs.

* * *

"What the hell is your problem?" Jesse asked the second his brother was stepping out of his car.

"What are you talking about?" Wade questioned, finding his house key as he walked from his car to the door. "Why are you here anyway?" He asked, unlocking his house door.

"I dropped Abel off and had a little chat with Zoe. She's not saying much but I get the gist that you're being an idiot," Jesse retorted, following Wade inside, letting the door slam just a tad as it shut.

"Why are doing this anyway?" Wade replied, dropping his set of keys on the counter, keeping his back to the table that had been set, he wasn't ready to face that and he already felt like crap the second he walked into this kitchen and saw what she had planned to make up for what she had done.

"Because she's sitting over there holding onto some kind of key for dear life because it's from you. I'm trying to figure out what the hell happened with you two. You both look like shit for what?" Jesse asked, his anger gone from his voice.

With a sigh and a gentle scrub of his face, Wade braced himself and launched into the story of what happened. From his dinner to the following morning when he had just walked out. "I screwed up I know that," he ended with.

"Nothing that can't be fixed," Jesse replied. "Unless you did something stupid last night when you didn't return home." Wade shook his head.

"I was in Bluebell, spent the night at the gate house getting the rest of my things packed up. I wouldn't do something that stupid, I wouldn't go that far to ruin things with Zoe," he told his brother. "She was really holding onto the key?" He had planned on grabbing it when he walked out of her house Friday night, but he left it because it was for her.

"Like it was her life line," Jesse replied, thinking his next words over. "I can't say what you should do, but I do know that you should go over there and fix this thing. She's crying and it's her birthday and that's just not cool," Jesse told him. "She did everything that she could do to make it up to you," he said gesturing around the kitchen. "And we both know that she can't cook but she did for you and your place is still standing," he smiled. Envy growing in the pit of his stomach at the lengths Zoe had went to for Wade. "She's waiting on you so don't hold it off for long," Jesse finished up walking out the door.

Looking at the table that housed what should have been a dinner for two, he felt his resolve slip away as he questioned himself on his behavior and he had no answers for what he was doing. Though he knew what he had to do; what needed to be done. He was determined to make things right with Zoe.

* * *

Helping Wade and Zoe out had taken a lot out of him emotionally. Talking to both of them and seeing how bad off they both were it was the first time he let himself see just how good Wade and Zoe were together, that he felt at peace with himself, as exhausting as it was he'd do it again, they both needed a push his little brother more so than Zoe but he felt great about himself for helping them out. He had been in Zoe's life for plenty of reasons. The good ones were just having Zoe in his life now as someone he could call a friend and he had Wade back in his life in the brotherly way that mattered; they were brothers again and not just pretending to be brothers. He had his son in his life and because of his own stupidity he had a hand in helping bringing two people together. It had taken him years to find a place where he belonged, a lot of heartache along the way but he was now able to fix that and he felt at home within himself. That everything he had done in his life had led him to this moment. He was happy and the people around him were happy, once they worked through their own problems that was, but it was a good time for Jesse to be himself.

He was able to build a bond with his son, have a friendship with the mother of his child, had his brother back and his father was there. All the things he thought he lost when he walked away from them countless times. But here he was a better person than he had ever been before. On top of all that he had a girlfriend that he loved and a future with her didn't seem as scary as he had thought it would be.

He was truly home.


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey everyone, the final chapter should be up on Monday if things don't get crazy hectic again. If you have anything that you want to see the last chapter let me know and I'll add it in. Enjoy!**

* * *

Zoe had just placed the key on the coffee table. She decided that it wasn't going to do her any good to mope around on the couch all day trying to figure out what the key was for, she wouldn't let herself go completely crazy trying to figure it out, she was going to focus on the day she was going to have with her son and let everything with Wade go away.

"I'm taking Holly for a walk, I'll be at the park for a while," Abel said, rushing through the living room, Holly chasing after him, nipping at his heels.

Zoe smiled at his actions, happy that he had figured out the path he finally wanted to take, happy that instead of causing trouble and going out to look for it, that he found his own happiness of doing good. She was proud of her son had turned out to be.

"Abel uh let me in," Wade said awkwardly walking further into the living room. "He took Hobs to the park," he informed her, moving to sit down on the couch, keeping space between him and Zoe. "I'm sorry for the way I acted, it was nothing to do with you, I was just mad at myself for overreacting they way I had. You did nothing wrong, Zo. This whole thing could've been avoided if I would have just called you and gave you a bit of a heads up and I do take full responsibility for that," he told her, glancing down his eyes catching sight of the key on the coffee table before moving his gaze up to lock with her brown ones. "Thank you for trying to make it up to me."

"I can look past this whole miscommunication stuff," she told him softly. "I just have to know if you spent your night in some other woman's bed, Wade," she said bracing herself for the worst possible answer.

"I may be stupid at times and I can be a dick, Zo," he started to say, placing his hand on tops of hers, his fingers curling around her hand. "But I wouldn't cheat on you. I was in Bluebell I had to move the things that I had left in the gate house out because Lavon needs in there to get things fixed, it couldn't be put off any longer, I stayed at Lavon's house. I was still pissed at myself for just walking away that I wasn't ready to face you and I'm sorry, Zoe," he told her.

"I want to be okay with this, Wade," she started to say taking a deep breath. "But you can't just stay away like that. It's done and we can't do anything other than move forward. I don't like how it went. We're been together for nearly a year now and we can't do this again. We need to talk to each other before we go out and stay out for hours, you know make sure the other one doesn't have anything planned so we can avoid things like this."

"I agree, Zo," he told her. "We good?" He questioned.

"Yeah, misunderstandings happen and as much as it hurt for everything that happened, it's something we can easily move on from," she told him with a smile. "Now what's with that key?" She asked with a smile.

Wade chuckled lightly with relief that things were good between him and Zoe. "This key holds our future," he told her with a sly smirk, picking the key up. She was ready to ask why when he spoke up. "I know your love for a life in the city. I see how happy you are here in Mobile and I saw how excited you were to be in New York, but I'm hoping that a part of you finds the same happiness you find in the city not only in Bluebell but in the country," he told her.

"I love Bluebell," she told him. "As for the country, I haven't given it much thought, I've always been a city girl, Wade."

"I know but I'm hoping that one day you can see yourself as a country woman," he said, placing the key in the palm of her hand, closing her fingers around the cool metal. "That key belongs to a house a few miles from here. The halfway point between Bluebell and Mobile. That way you can still work here or at the practice in Bluebell and I can go back to running the Jammer full time and the commute won't be long for either of us," he explained.

"Wade," she said, letting a breath out. It was sweet but she didn't know if she could make a choice like that.

"You don't have to decided this minute, Zoe," he told her, closing his hand around her hand that housed the key. "The house is quite the fixer upper, it's going to take a year or two to get the place fixed up enough to move in to," he informed her.

"I have to talk to Abel about this," she whispered.

"I know," Wade told her. "I had him in mind when doing this, Zoe. It gives him the chance to decide if he wants to go to school in either Bluebell or Mobile. He'll be driving before we can even move in."

"You believe that much in us and this relationship?" She questioned him, her eyes shiny with tears.

"Yes, I do," he told her inching closer. "Don't you?"

Zoe smiled, pulling Wade closer, giving him her answer in the warm and wet kiss from her tears spilling over, her emotions pouring out in the kiss to be met with his emotions.

"Son in the room," Abel laughed, breaking his mom and Wade up. "Holly and Hobs are being lazy in the shade outside. Is Wade coming with us tonight?" He asked.

"Nah, this is your thing with your mom and I don't want to intrude on that," he told Abel.

"Don't be ridiculous," Abel laughed. "You wouldn't be intruding. I'd be totally okay with it. It's been just me and Mom for so long that we couldn't have it any other way but now that you're around it'd be more than okay for you to join us," Abel let him know.

"I agree with Abel," Zoe told him. "But the choice is yours." She would like for Wade to come with them now that she knew that Abel was okay with that. As much as it was about her and Abel spending time together, it would be nice for the three of them.

"Just know that I'm the one paying for dinner," Abel told him, getting a chuckle from Wade.

"I'll be back around 5, I have something to show the both of you," he said getting up. "As long as you let me pay for dessert," he told Abel. Thinking it over, Abel nodded agreeing with him. "Happy birthday, Doc," Wade told her with a small kiss heading out.

"Sit down will you, I have to talk to you about something." Noting the serious tone to his mother's voice Abel sat down.

"What's going on?"

"When we moved here I didn't give you much of an option, I couldn't give you an option because I needed you to be away from the bad influence in your life and I know that you could've found the same kind of people here but for reasons unbeknownst to me you didn't and I'm proud of the man you're turning out to be, Abel. I love you," she told him, pausing.

"I love you too, Mom. Where exactly are you going with this? We're not moving back to New York are we?" He asked worried and very much in panic mode.

"No," she told him shaking her head, getting him to calm down and his emotions back in check. "But this key, it's for a house that apparently needs a lot of work done before anyone can move into it, half way between here and Bluebell, easier for everyone. Wade wants us to live there with him, how do feel about that?" Zoe asked.

"Wade's cool and he's been there for me whenever I needed him to be. He makes you happy, I'm not against the idea of moving there. I'd be closer to Rose so that would amazing," he smiled. "But my friends here would be a bit further away," he sighed.

"It won't be for a year or longer and you can decided on if you want to keep going to school here or if you want to transfer to the high school in Bluebell."

"I can't picture you in the country," Abel laughed. "So that might be worth it," he joked.

"I'm trying to figure that out myself," she smiled. "It's not something you have to decide on right this second," Zoe told him.

"What happens if I don't want to move and you do because you love Wade and you deserve to be happy with him," Abel told her.

"As much as I don't like the idea because of the track record your Father has, I guess if you didn't want to move and I did, you could live with your Dad," she told him sadly.

"Don't look so sad," Abel joked. "No one has made a decision yet. I never said I didn't want too, but right now I don't know what I want to do just like you don't know what it is you want to do, Mom. But together we'll figure it out," he told her. "I'm going to go and start getting ready to go and you should do the same thing," Abel told her, heading upstairs.

* * *

"No one was lying when they said this place needed to be fixed," Abel laughed, seeing the house falling to piece's as they stood there.

"That's the best thing," Wade said. "We can make it our own. We can rebuild it or tear it down and start fresh," he suggested.

"It's beautiful," Zoe said, wrapping her arms around Wade's waist. Looking at the broken house in front of her, she could imagine the family that had lived there, the love the house had been filled with and she could picture her future there with Wade and Abel. They could be a family that gave house more love and happy memories.

"My mother has gone delusional," Abel joked. But even he could see a home and instead of a house. "I can have my own bathroom, right?" He questioned.

"Of course," Wade laughed, happy that the two most important people in his life had been keeping an open mind about moving. "Let's get going to that dinner, we have a birthday to celebrate," Wade announced.

Their dinner had been filled with love, laughs and memories that they would cherish for a lifetime ahead of them. Things weren't always going to be easy but together they would be okay.


	35. Chapter 35

**Epilogue** **:**

 **5 years later:**

"Mommy, Mommy, I can't find my shoe," a 4-year-old Marissa pouted running into her parent's bedroom holding up the lone pink dress shoe that she could find.

Zoe smiled at her daughter, the spitting image of herself at that age except for the dark green eyes, those were Wade's. When she learned that she was pregnant with Marissa they had just moved into their house, all three of them. It had taken them a month and a half shy of a year to get the house done enough that they could move in. They hadn't planned on having a baby, but she wasn't an accident either, they had decided that if it was going to happen it would happen. And fate hadn't left them waiting long.

After having Marissa and being able to go back to work Zoe had only worked part time at the hospital wanting to spend her time with her daughter. She had even worked a deal out with Brick that she work at the practice once or twice a week on her day's off allowing Brick to have a day off.

"Mommy, have you seen the other one?" Her husband asked in his best little girly voice with his little smirk walking into the room holding the mate to the shoe his little girl was looking for.

"Right here, Daddy," the little girl giggled, showing him the shoe.

"Ah, there it is," he smiled, picking her up, kissing her cheek and tossing her onto the bed in a fit of giggles.

Zoe rolled her eyes turning back around to finish getting ready. Things with Wade hadn't always been easy, especially when they fought over how they wanted their house. Plenty of things came up for the two but it never broke them, they had been able to quickly fix whatever damage had been made. They both had learned from past experiences. She smiled watching her husband buckle the tiny buckles on their daughter's shoes, catching his eyes in the mirror, his love shinning bright.

"Thanks Daddy," the little girl beamed, kissing her daddy's cheek and running from the room, yelling for her brother whom had came home from college for his father's wedding.

Abel had decided in his last year of high school that he wanted to be a veterinarian. His love for animals completely taking over. It was going to be hard to get to the finish line but he was determined to make something out of his life, to make everyone in his life proud of him, but most importantly he wanted his mom to be proud of him and for his little sister to look up to the person he was now.

"I swear she gets her energy from you," Zoe told him, adding a few more bobby pins to her hair.

"Oh yeah? Abel wasn't that hyper huh?" Zoe shook her head. He had the energy but every now and again he would slow down, something Marissa didn't know how to do. "Let's hope that she doesn't run down the aisle and just dump the basket of petals in one spot," he stated with a laugh picturing his little girl doing just that.

"Not much we can do if she does do that, Jesse was warned," Zoe replied, adding a bit more hairspray making Wade cough.

"I still say you'll still be the sexist bride I've ever laid eyes on," Wade smirked, standing behind his wife.

"Even though I was pregnant?" She questioned a sparkle to her brown eyes. His smirk turned into a massive grin.

"Not my fault that you were stubborn and wouldn't change the date of the wedding after we found out that you were pregnant," he replied kissing her head. "Pregnant or not you'll always be the sexist bride," he whispered into ear, loving that he could still make her blush so deeply.

Thinking back to the day he proposed he had to laugh, in a more uncomfortable way. He had just bought the ring but the actual popping the question was going to wait until he had a solid and romantic plan. But that had changed when Zoe snuck up behind himself and Abel as they had worked on Abel's car. Wade wanted to make sure that Abel would be okay with him marrying Zoe. Since she had heard everything he said screw it and dropped to one knee in the grimy garage and asked her. To Zoe the place didn't matter because it was Wade and that had made it special.

"I still wouldn't," she smiles getting up, her arms around his waist. "Everything about that day was perfect."

"Would you two hurry up," Abel ushered them stepping into the bedroom, ruining their little moment a smile on his face. The past two years with him away at college he missed his dog and his family, not that he was going to actually admit that one to anyone, they knew, they always know. He did come home for vacations and holidays but being so far away as freeing as it was for him, it was just hard for him to adjust.

"We're coming," Wade told him laughing. "And to think you wanted another one of those," he commented.

"Oh no," Zoe protested back lightly. "You wanted a child and I gave you a daughter," she retorted a huge smile on her face.

Smiling Wade pulled her in for kiss. He couldn't deny that, he wanted a child and he was given a daughter. He had been scared when he learned that he was going to be having a daughter, but the second she had been placed in his arms all 7 pounds and 8 ounces of her all his worries had dissolved. Watching as she slept in his arms he knew right then and there that he would do anything for her and that without a doubt he was going to be wrapped around her little finger.

They broke the kiss with laughter hearing the little voice yelling yucky at them. Wade picked her up, tickling her tummy as he headed downstairs to round up Holly and Hobs, both dogs loving the extra space to run around and chase squirrels, chipmunks and other little critters.

* * *

"Grandpa," Marissa yelled, pulling her hand free from her father's hand, she ran and jumped into Earl's arms. After getting himself better he moved back to Bluebell, missing everything about the small town and his friends. His sons and his grand-kids a daily reminder on why he had to stay away from the alcohol.

"Ladybug," Earl chuckled, placing her back on the ground. "Where's Abel off too?" Earl asked, hugging his youngest son and now his daughter. Zoe quickly filled him in telling him that he went to check on Jesse.

Things with Jesse had gotten better and the most anyone ever fought was when brothers were being brothers. With Jesse staying in one place it was easier to build a long lasting relationship with him. He was a good friend, a good brother, an excellent father and a good uncle.

Things with Aislin ended badly for both parties involved. More than one person thought that with the relationship over with that Jesse would take off again but he proved them wrong and stayed put. He got himself put back together and moved on with his life and did what he could to fill the whole that had been left. When he was able to get back to himself he had met Kathrine and they had clicked instantly, fights were brutal between them but they had more fun making up that way.

Abel watched as his parents walked around, his little sister hanging onto their grandpa's hand as they walked. He looked around the town square a soft sigh on his lips. Memories of him and Rose spending most their time together outside enjoying the sun and the others company. He missed Rose, she was now just his friend, a decision that they had made together, a hard one but the right one in the end. They were going to be on a different sides of the country, college was going to be hard enough for them and they didn't want to add the pressure of a long distance relationship on top of it, they didn't want to ruin the friendship they had so being friends was for the best and if they happened to be in the same place at any point in the future than they would try and see where it would go, if the opportunity would arise.

"Let's go get you married," Abel said pushing his own thoughts to the back of his mind, hearing his dad walk up to stand next to him. "You ready?"

"I never thought I would be here again," Jesse said, looking around the town at the people that were there for him. A few faces he didn't know but soon enough he would be related to those faces. "I'm more nervous that she's going to figure out she doesn't want to be with me and ditch me up there at the alter," he confessed.

"Kathrine won't do that, she loves you, for whatever reasons," he joked. "I'll try to catch ya up there when you faint, or maybe I'll just step to the side and watch you go down laughing my ass off," he told his dad.

"You and Wade both," Jesse told him with laughter of his own.

Laughing they headed across the street and took their places. Wade joining them when he saw where it was his brother and Abel were headed. Zoe going in search of Marissa to get her ready and to remind her that she was to drop the petals as she walked down the aisle.

The wedding was lovely, filled with family and friends as love from the two getting hitched surrounded everyone. Wade and Zoe sharing looks that were filled with love as they remembered their own wedding and just how in love they were then to see just how much their love had grown since they had said I dos.

"I haven't had the best relationship with Jesse over the years. One minute he's my best friend and the next I hate his guts for leaving me behind. I tolerated him enough to get through a day or two of his short visits, they were better than nothing and I had been holding onto a piece of my childhood when Jesse was there, over the years it had gotten smaller but it was there and today I'm not only happy that I've got my brother back, but that he's found someone that doesn't just deal with his crap but gives it right back to him. In some weird way that I don't get you two make it work and I wish nothing but the best for your future together," Wade toasted, holding his beer up before taking a drink of it. Given the duty of writing a speech about Jesse he didn't know what to really write with all the years that had been wasted, but he ended up going with what was in his heart.

Jesse nodded at him, wrapping his arm around his wife, ready to enjoy the rest of his night with his wife.

"I was expecting something more on the lines of thanks for messing up once to give me the most precious gift in the world, my wife," Zoe joked, looping her arm through his. Wade laughed.

"I thought about it but the speech is suppose to be about him and not me," he replied, spotting Abel at the bar. "Why don't you go catch up with the girls and I'll save a dance with the most precious wife in the world," he smiled, leaning down to graze his lips with hers.

"You best," Zoe warned, breaking the kiss and walking over to where her friends were at. Brick had actually got her attention wanting to know if she would be able to come in the morning for a few hours, she nodded telling him she'd be there.

Wade walked up to the bar, taking the drink away from Abel. "One or two never hurt anyone considering you're almost of age but I'm not going to watch you get drunk for your mom to get mad at you," Wade told him.

"That's just lame," Abel countered with trying to take his drink back. "I drink while at parties at school."

"Lame or not you can get in serious trouble for drinking underage and that's not something that you want. I can't stop you from going to parties or drinking at school, but here I can and I won't allow it," Wade told him firmly.

"Okay," Abel sighed. His relationship with Wade had only gotten stronger when they moved in together, there had been times when he didn't want to listen to what Wade had to say or deal with whatever punishment it was that Wade would hand out, but in the end he did not wanting to cause any unwanted problems for anyone. "I'm going to go see Dad and I'll be crashing with Marissa at Grandpa's place," he informed Wade. Finding out that he was going to be a big brother wasn't that much of a shock, he had figured from the talk they had with him before that at some point they would have a baby and he was happy for them and he loved his little sister.

Wade turned around to look at the people that were still left. He smiled, locking his gaze with his wife's gaze. They were right where they were meant to be at. He was thankful of Jesse for one reason, he brought Zoe and Abel into his life's and for that he owed his brother big time. Life was just filled with unexpected surprises.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to not only read but to those that have left reviews for this story. Thank you to those of you that have followed and faved. I hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter.**

 **For those wondering about what is going to happen between Abel and Rose, there might be a story up for them in the future, but I don't promise anything as I'm not really sure. If enough people want to see it, then I might work something out.**


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